Photo Essay: In the Shadow of a Great Volcano
High in the southern Andes, Chile’s Quizapu crater is one of South America’s most fearsome geologic features. In 1846, it was the source of one the continent’s largest historically recorded lava flows. In 1932, it produced one of the largest recorded volcanic blasts. The volcano is currently inactive, but could revive at any time. What is next?
High in the southern Andes, Chile’s Quizapu crater is one of South America’s most fearsome geologic features. In 1846, it was the source of one the continent’s largest historically recorded lava flows. In 1932, it produced one of the largest recorded volcanic blasts. The eruptions instantly turned vast mountain areas to desert. The volcano is currently inactive, but could revive at any time. What is next? For eight days, scientists and students from Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and four other institutions traveled the region on foot and horseback to study what drives such huge eruptions at Quizapu and elsewhere. (All photos by Kevin Krajick) READ THE FULL SCIENTIFIC STORY or WATCH A VIDEO
