Nature Unleashed: Volcanic Light Show
In early May the Chaitén volcano which had been dormant for more than 9,000 years spewed forth a 40,000 foot tall ash plume .
The eruption lasted a month and unleashed a torrent lightning as ash filled the air. The volcano, situated 700 miles south of Santiago, Chile, forced the evacuation of 8,000 people from the nearby village of Chaitén.
This volcanic eruption is roughly comparable in size to the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption that released hundreds of millions of tons of debris in an explosion 1,000 times as powerful as the atomic bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki.
The volcanic lightning results from particles in the ash cloud rubbing together as the plume swirls. Scientists aren’t sure about which types of particles generate the most static electricity, and they don’t know how much energy is produced during the event.
The lack of research in this area is extremely understandable. When scientist see an erupting , lightning spewing volcano, they tend to run in the opposite direction.
they tend to run … So, they ARE smarter than I thought!
By the way, I heard it was only 8500 years.
I like your info. Thanks
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How in the hell do they know the last time it erupted?
Volcano and nasty lightning. I would crap myself if I saw this.