A flurry of seismic activity that triggered 160 quakes in simply 2 hours at the Laguna del Maule volcanic field in main Chile has actually put authorities on alert.
160 quakes happened in the location throughout a two-hour duration previously today, which functioned as a plain suggestion of the volcanic complex’s active nature.
Found near the Argentine border, around 300km south of the Chilean capital, Laguna del Maule is a vast volcanic landscape. Covering 500 square kilometres, the complex makes up many volcanic domes, cones, lava circulations, and an approximated 130 vents.
Chile’s National Geology and Mining Service – Sernageomin – has, nevertheless, kept a green alert level, symbolizing no instant threat. The quakes were likewise of low magnitude.
The current seismic swarm highlights the volcano’s hidden activity. “These are indications that the volcano is active, it has lava, what’s within is moving and this can cause a moderate-sized occasion in the future,” described Ayaz Alam, a geologist and teacher at the University of Santiago of Chile.
He warned, nevertheless, that forecasting the timing of any prospective eruption stays difficult.
The swarm’s fairly low-magnitude quakes stand out from those happening along geological fault, Alam kept in mind. Volcanic seismic activity comes from the motion of lava, instead of the accident of tectonic plates.
Chilean catastrophe firm Senapred has actually verified its dedication to continuous tracking and cooperation with local authorities, guaranteeing readiness for any prospective emergency situations.
The biggest trembling signed up throughout the swarm was a 2.1 magnitude, however the fairly young volcanic field has actually revealed numerous indications of activity over the last few years.
Daniel Diaz, a geophysicist and volcanologist at the University of Chile, states the location is rather special because it does not have a single volcanic structure, however lots around the lake, a few of which have actually formed in the last 2,000 years.
” This (volcanic) system is rather current and for that reason we anticipate there to be activity,” Diaz stated. “However it’s not focused in one structure or cone, however all around the zone surround the Laguna del Maule.”
Laguna del Maule is thought about by academics and specialists to be among the most hazardous volcanoes of the Southern Andean volcanic belt and is Argentina’s 3rd most hazardous volcano.