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| Satellite photo from NASA, June 13, 2011 showing the ash plume |
The eruption of Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano in southern Chile on June 4th was not an isolated regional disaster, but a six mile high explosion of fire, magma and fumes that has disrupted weather eastward across South America and westward as far as Australia and New Zealand. During the week following the volcanic activity, Uruguay experienced dense fog, violent winds, torrential rain and dramatic thunderstorms. Clouds of ash reduced the horizon of the Rio de la Plata to a grey smudge, and my afternoon session on the beach taking moody, Turneresque photos resulted in red eyes and irritated lungs. ( It wasn't until the next day that a notice in the newspaper warned people not to wear contact lenses, a precaution that hadn't crossed my foggy mind.) Drifting volcanic ash plumes continue to affect air quality and paralyze air travel; last Friday 66 flights in and out of Carrasco Airport were cancelled. We are grounded - another irritant!
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| Fog shrouds the Playa Ramirez in Montevideo |
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| Parque Rodo - ashes to ashes |
The most noticeable immediate impact of volcanic activity is a widespread cold snap, as hot air from the blast rises, cools and wets. The Antofagasta area
in northern Chile had a severe, unprecedented snowfall on July 5th. Although we haven't had any snow here, the past month of near-freezing temperatures in Uruguay has been a brutal episode for homeless people living on the streets. Following five deaths amongst "sin techo" victims of exposure, the government ordered mandatory pick-up and sheltering of anyone found sleeping on the sidewalk in Montevideo.
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| A cardboard box is home for this poor person |
Friends living in Mendoza province may be boasting about the free fertilizer that will enrich their vineyard soil and improve the flavour of their wines, but they should also be aware that volcanoes have huge carbon footprints and spew chemicals that deplete the ozone layer, contaminate soil and disturb the ecosystem. Sulfur dioxide, hydrochloric acid and hydrogen fluoride are toxins that are potentially hazardous for plants and animals. Ash-covered fields are not conducive to crop-growing or livestock-grazing until the ash has washed away and filtered down through multiple layers of soil. The possible chemical fallout from volcanic activity is described in this
detailed article published by the U.S government.
As we wait for the sky to clear, I am staying home to dust the woodwork, wearing my old-fashioned glasses and a thick, wool sweater.
