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24 Jun 11 — Chile's National Service of Geology and Mining said on Wednesday that the volcano had to be kept on red alert because a "cork" of lava at the Puyehue volcano could lead to another explosion. Seismic activity has declined, with two tremors of a magnitude of around 2.5 recorded every hour on Tuesday, compared with several hundred of a magnitude of four or five in the hours preceding the initial June 4 eruption. If this continues, "an explosive event remains possible because the path the lava is taking is obstructed, or because the eruption dynamic has changed," said SERNAGEOMIN director Enrique Valdivieso. Several more southern Chilean cities, including Rininahue, Llifen, Futrono, Villarrica and Pucon, were hit Tuesday by a cascade of fine ash, according to SERNAGEOMIN. Meanwhile, with up to 1.5 million sheep and other livestock now forced to graze on ash-covered pastures, ranchers in southern Argentina's Patagonia were becoming seriously concerned.
http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/red-alert-as-cork-plugs-volcano-20110623-1ghk5.html |
