Volcan Villarrica in Chile

Credit: NASA/GSFC, Posted on: Sunday, 31 October 2004, 10:48 CST Download full size image

Located deep within the Chilean central Andes, Volcan Villarrica has a long history of strong volcanic activity. Since 1971, Villarrica has had numerous eruptions that resulted in large ash emissions and mudflows (lahars). The image shows snow on the upper flanks of the mountain, but the snow is absent from the summit due to the active lava lake. In addition, the image reveals lava flows, mudflows, and ash deposits from previous eruptions. Among these features are the 1972 and 1984 lava flows located along the volcano’s south and northwest flanks, respectively. The close proximity of the town Pucón (15 kilometers north of Villarrica) illustrates the significant hazard that volcanoes can pose to humans.

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