Volcanic fall-out creates a surreal landscape

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the eruption of a volcano in the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcanic chain, nearly 600 miles south of Santiago in Chile. It's been going on ever since then, and the ash vomiting from the cone has settled over many square miles of the surrounding countryside. The Atlantic's In Focus section has an excellent photo essay about the effects of the ash. Here are a few examples to whet your appetite, reduced in size to fit this blog.








There are many more images at the link, in much larger sizes. Highly recommended viewing.

Here's a video clip of a diver trying to make his way along the shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake, near San Carlos de Bariloche in Argentina. The water is covered with ash and pumice released by the volcano.

Looks like a real mess! I wonder how long it takes for nature to clean itself up after an eruption like this?

Peter