Chaitén
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| Chaitén | |
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  Chaitén
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | Chile |
| Region | Los Lagos |
| Province | Palena |
| Founded | 1933 |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | |
| Area | |
| - Commune | 8,471 km² (3,270.7 sq mi) |
| Population (2002) | |
| - Commune | 7,182 |
| - Urban | 4,065 |
| Time zone | Chilean (UTC-4) |
| - Summer (DST) | Chilean Daylight (UTC-3) |
| postal code | |
| Area code(s) | country + city = |
Chaitén (pronounced /tʃaɪˈtɛn/) is a Chilean town and commune, capital of the Palena Province in Los Lagos Region. The town is located north of the mouth of Yelcho River and is adjacent to the Gulf of Corcovado, which separates it from Chiloé Island.
The town was evacuated in May 2008 when the Chaitén volcano erupted for the first time in more than 9,000 years.[1][2] The eruption, which commenced 2 May, became more violent on 5 May,[3] throwing up a high plume of ash and sulfurous steam that rose to 19 miles, from which ashfall drifted across Patagonia, and over the Atlantic Ocean.[4] The town was completely flooded on May 12, 2008 after a lahar caused the banks of the Blanco River to overflow about 200 m on each side.[5]
[edit] Nearby attractions
Nearby attractions include:
- Corcovado National Park, which includes Corcovado volcano.
- Pumalín Park, which includes Michinmahuida volcano.
- Yelcho Lake
- Carretera Austral
[edit] References
- ^ The Global Volcanism Program reports that previously assessed radiocarbon dating of the last lava flow from Chaitén has suggested that the volcano last erupted in 7420 BC, plus or minus 75 years. (NASA, "Earth Observatory Natural Hazards)
- ^ "Holocene tephrochronology of the southernmost part (42°30'-45°S) of the Andean Southern Volcanic Zone" (December 2004). Revista Geológica de Chile 31 (2): 225-240. Santiago, Chile: Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería.
- ^ (Times om-line) "4,000 evacuated as volcano blast meets storm in the Chilean sky" 6 May 2008.
- ^ NASA, "Earth Observatory Natural Hazards plume visible from space]
- ^ Global Volcanism Program | Chaitén | SI / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Reports
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