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Cordón Caulle, Chile, June 2011
On the 4th of June 2011, the Cordón Caulle volcano complex in Chile erupted approximately 50,000ft (15,000m) into the atmosphere. The Buenos Aires Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) began issuing advice to the aviation industry on the location of the ash plume and its expected movement.
The volcano has remained active and as of the 22nd of June, the main ash plume had extended east from the volcano across the Atlanic, Indian and Southern Oceans into the Pacific Ocean; and was continuing around the world a second time. Volcanic ash is being monitored by four Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres: Buenos Aires, Toulouse, Wellington and Darwin.
Click image for latest view.
Image: Infrared image from MTSAT-2 satellite taken on 9th of June 2011. Volcanic ash is indicated by the green and red colours over the southern Indian Ocean (Note that pale green 'specks' away from the main cloud are not ash). Source: Japan Meteorological Agency satellite MTSAT-2 processed by the Bureau of Meteorology.
Image: MODIS/Aqua True Colour image taken at 1850Z on the 4th of June 2011(NASA).
What is VAAC Darwin doing?
Staff at VAAC Darwin are using a range of volcanic ash detection techniques to determine the current extent of the volcanic ash plume. We are using computer modelling and liaising with VAAC Toulouse to determine where the ash plume is likely to move.
In addition, we are providing Volcanic Ash Advisories and briefings to the aviation industry to allow them to make decisions on air routes that are safe to fly.
Why has the ash plume travelled so far?
Volcanic ash particles come in a range of sizes and while the biggest will fall to the ground quickly, very small particles take a long time to settle out of the atmosphere. This eruption ejected these small particles very high in the atmosphere, to a region of stronger winds known as the jet stream. The jet stream has then carried the ash particles great distances to the east.
It is not unprecedented for volcanic ash to remain suspended for long time periods. Ash from the initial eruption of Merapi in Indonesia during November 2010 remained in upper levels of the atmosphere for almost two weeks, and in 1991, ash from the volcano Cerro Hudson (also in Chile) circumnavigated the globe.
Image: Satellite image of path of the Cordon Caulle ash cloud around the southern hemisphere from 5-12 June 2011.
Images courtesy of the European Meteorological Satellite agency, Japanese Meteorological Agency and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and their geostationary satellites.
Where can I find further information?
- For flight information details, contact your airline
- VAAC Darwin: http://www.bom.gov.au/info/vaac/advisories.shtml
- VAAC Buenos Aires: http://www.smn.gov.ar/?mod=vaac&id=1
- VAAC Toulouse: http://www.meteo.fr/vaac/
- EUMETSAT Volcanic Ash Imagery (Atlantic Ocean): http://oiswww.eumetsat.org/IPPS/html/MSG/RGB/
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