Llaima

Infobox Mountain
Name = Llaima
Photo = Llaima Volcano.jpg
Caption = The snowy cone of Llaima volcano
Elevation = convert|3125|m|ft|0
Location = Melipeuco and Vilcún, Cautín Province, Araucanía Region, Chile
Range = Andes
Prominence =
Coordinates = coord|38|41|30|S|71|43|43|W|type:mountain_region:CL|display=inline,title
Type = Stratovolcano
Age =
Last eruption = July 2 2008
First ascent =
Easiest route =

Llaima Volcano is one of the largest and most active volcanoes in Chile. It is situated 82 km northeast of Temuco and 663 km southeast of Santiago, within the borders of Conguillío National Park. Llaima’s activity has been documented since the 17th century, and consists of several separate episodes of moderate explosive eruptions with occasional lava flows.

The volcano, along with Sierra Nevada, surrounds the Conguillío Lake.

Its slopes are drained by the rivers Captrén, Quepe and Trufultruful.Es_icon cite web | url = http://www.sernageomin.cl/sernageomin/sitio/ovdas/volcanes/llaima/index.html | title= Volcán Llaima | author = Sernageomin | accessdate = 2007-08-30] The former ones are tributaries of Cautín River and the latter is affluent of Allipén River.

The average elevation of the terrain around Llaima is about 740 m asl.

Name

Llaima is a Mapuche word meaning "Blood veins". The volcano also has been called Chañel, a Mapuche name that is related with its finger shape. During the Spanish rule, it was named Imperial, because of its location close to the city of Carahue, then called "La Imperial".

ubsidiary peaks

The top of Llaima consists of two summits, the lower of the two is named Pichillaima, is about Convert|2920|m|ft|0|abbr=on high and is meaningfully less prominent than the other, northern summit.

Recreation

The ski center "Las Araucarias" lies on the volcano's western slopes.

Eruptions

Llaima is one of Chile's most active volcanoes and has frequent but moderate eruptions. The last major eruption occurred in 1994. [cite web|title=Chile volcano forces evacuations|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7167639.stm|source=BBC|date=January 2, 2008]

An eruption on January 1, 2008 forced the evacuation of hundreds of people from nearby villages. A column of smoke approximately 3000 m high was observed. An amateur caught the [http://youtube.com/watch?v=ju81EJ3_M3I early eruption phase] on video. The volcanic ash expelled by Llaima travelled east over the Andes into Argentina. Ash fall was recorded in the area of Zapala, Neuquén Province, and forced the cancellation of flights to and from Presidente Perón Airport near the city of Neuquén. [cite news| url=http://www.clarin.com/diario/2008/01/02/um/m-01575736.htm |title=Cancelan vuelos en el aeropuerto de Neuquén por la erupción en Chile del volcán Llaima |source=Clarín |date=January 2, 2008] . An eruption on July 2, 2008 resulted in evacuation of 40 people from a 15 km exclusion zone [cite news| url=http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080702/tsc-uk-chile-volcano-011ccfa.html |title=Chile ski station evacuated as volcano erupts |source=Yahoo!News |date=July 2, 2008] .

ee also

*List of volcanoes in Chile
*Lonquimay
*Tolhuaca

References

* [http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=1507-11= Global Volcanism Program: Llaima]
* [http://www.sernatur.cl/allesqui2005/ALL%20ARAUCARIAS/ARAUCARIAS.html Araucarias] There is a video of the eruption on http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7160000/newsid_7167400/7167415.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&asb=1&news=1&bbcws=1

External links

* [http://www.povi.cl/llaima/ Llaima Volcano Visual Observation Project]
* [http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17887 Sulfur Dioxide Plume from Llaima Volcano] at the NASA Earth Observatory