Volcano erupts in Chile

The eruption of the Puyehue volcano in the Andes mountains of southern Chile last weekend provided some spectacular images of the force of nature. Ash covers the landscape and thousands of people were evacuated from the surrounding rural communities. The volcano, which hasn't been active since 1960 when it erupted after an earthquake, sent its plume of ash 6 miles high across Argentina and toward the Atlantic Ocean. -- Lloyd Young (33 photos total)

A plume of ash, estimated six miles (10km) high and three mile wide is seen after a volcano erupted in the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic chain, about 575 miles (920 km) south of the capital, Santiago June 4. (Ivan Alvarado/Reuters)

A boy wearing a protective mask, walks along an ash-covered street near San Carlos de Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina, on June 7 three days after the eruption of Chile's Puyehue volcano. Dozens of South American flights had to be scrapped Tuesday because of the huge cloud of volcanic ash spewing from a Chile an volcano, as fears grew of possible landslides near the eruption. So far 4,000 people have been evacuated from 22 rural Chile an communities surrounding the Puyehue volcano, which rumbled to life on Saturday after showing no activity since 1960, when it erupted following a magnitude 9.5 earthquake.(Francisco Ramos Mejia/AFP/Getty Images)

A car is completely covered in volcanic ash in San Carlos de Bariloche, southern Argentina, Sunday June 5. (Alfredo Leiva/Associated Press)

A helicopter flies over smoke and ash rising from the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic chain near Osorno city in south-central Chile June 5. A volcano dormant for decades erupted in the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic chain in south-central Chile on Saturday, belching an ash cloud more than 6 miles (10 km) high that blew over the Andes and carpeted a popular ski resort in neighboring Argentina. (Ivan Alvarado/Reuters)

An inhabitant of the region near the erupting Puyehue volcano looks out from a shelter after they were evacuated for their safety in Entrelagos town June 6. (Ivan Alvarado/Reuters)

This NASA Earth Observatory natural-color satellite image obtained June 7, 2011 was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiomter on the Aqua satellite shortly after the eruption began on June. The brown ash plume reaches high above the clouds covering much of the scene, and casts a dark shadow towards the southeast. Along the leading edge of the plume, it appears heavier material is falling out of the ash cloud, while finer particles remain suspended in the atmosphere. (NASA)

A plume of light-coloured ash stretches along the edge of the Andes in this natural-color satellite image acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer aboard Terra on the morning of June 6 as the eruption at the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano chain continues. (NASA)

A cloud of ash billowing from Puyehue volcano near Osorno in southern Chile, 870 km south of Santiago June 5. Puyehue volcano erupted for the first time in half a century on June 4 prompting evacuations for 3,500 people as it sent a cloud of ash that reached Argentina. The National Service of Geology and Mining said the explosion that sparked the eruption also produced a column of gas 10 kilometers (six miles) high, hours after warning of strong seismic activity in the area. (Claudio Santana/AFP/Getty Images)

A member of the media walks along a road covered with ash from Chile's Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano chain near the Cardenal Samore border pass between Argentina and Chile, June 7. (Ivan Alvarado/Reuters)

A plane is seen covered in volcanic ash at San Carlos de Bariloche airport, southern Argentina June 7. The wind carried volcanic ash across the Andes to Argentina resulting in the closing of six airports, and the cancellation of flights in the capital city. (Alfredo Leiva/Associated Press)

People line up at Aerolineas Argentinas airline desk to reschedule their flights at the Jorge Newbery Airport, after their flights were cancelled due to an ash cloud that reached Buenos Aires from Chile's Peyuhue volcano, grounding most air travel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday June 7. (Natacha Pisarenko/Associated Press)

The front gate of a ranch is covered in ash from Chile's Puyehue-Cordon Caulle seen at the mountain resort of San Martin de Los Andes in Argentina's Patagonia region June 6. (Patricio Rodriguez/Reuters)

A resident walks through fallen ash from Chile's Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano chain in the mountain resort San Martin de Los Andes in Argentina's Patagonia June 6. (Patricio Rodriguez/Reuters)

A man takes pictures on a road covered with pumice rocks from Chile's Puyehue-Cordon Caulle chain volcano near the Cardenal Samore border pass between Argentina and Chile June 6. The volcano in the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle chain, dormant for decades, erupted in south-central Chile on Saturday, belching ash over 6 miles (10 km) into the sky, as winds fanned it toward neighboring Argentina, and prompted the government to evacuate several thousand residents, authorities said. (Ivan Alvarado/Reuters)

A view is seen of the ash plume above the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano chain near Entrelagos June 5. (Carlos Gutierrez/Reuters)

A view is seen of a cloud of ashes from Chile's Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano chain near sunset at the mountain resort San Martin de Los Andes in Argentina's Patagonia June 5. (Patricio Rodriguez/Reuters)

A pumice rock from Chile's Puyehue-Cordon Caulle chain volcano is shown near the Cardenal Samore border pass between Argentina and Chile, June 6. The volcano in the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle chain, dormant for decades, erupted in south-central Chile on Saturday, belching ash over 6 miles (10 km) into the sky, as winds fanned it toward neighboring Argentina, and prompted the government to evacuate several thousand residents. (Ivan Alvarado/Reuters)

Rininahue village showing the cloud of ash billowing from Puyehue volcano in southern Chile, 870 km south of Santiago, on June 5. (Claudio Santana/AFP/Getty Images)

Rosehip covered in ash from Chile's Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano chain are seen in the mountain resort San Martin de Los Andes in Argentina's Patagonia June 6. (Patricio Rodriguez/Reuters)

A Chilean civil police officer prepares to evacuate Cardinal Samore Pass in the border between Chile and Argentina, near Osorno in southern Chile, June 6 following the eruption two days ago of Chile's Puyehue volcano. (Claudio Santana/AFP/Getty Images)

A view of the Lago Lacar (Lacar Lake) and a part of its coast covered with ashes from Chile's Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano chain in the mountain resort San Martin de Los Andes in Argentina's Patagonia June 6. (Patricio Rodriguez/Reuters)

Lightning flashes around the ash plume at above the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano chain near Entrelagos June 5. The volcano in the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle chain, dormant for decades, erupted in south-central Chile on Saturday, belching ash over 6 miles (10 km) into the sky, as winds fanned it toward neighboring Argentina, and prompted the government to evacuate several thousand residents. (Carlos Gutierrez/Reuters)

A boy riding his bike looks at a plume of smoke and ash merging from the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcano in Rininahue near Lago Ranco, over 500 miles south of Santiago, Chile, Monday June 6. (Carlos Succo/Associated Press)

A man covers his face as he walks through an ash-covered street of the mountain resort of San Martin de Los Andes in Argentina's Patagonia region June 6. (Patricio Rodriguez/Reuters)

People play ping-pong as a cloud of ash billowing from Puyehue volcano is seen in the background in southern Chile, 870 km south of Santiago, on June 5. (Alvaro Vidal/AFP/Getty Images)

A cloud of ash billowing from Puyehue volcano near Osorno in southern Chile, 870 km south of Santiago, on June 5. (Claudio Santana/AFP/Getty Images)

Volcanic lightning is seen over the Puyehue volcano, over 500 miles south of Santiago, Chile, Sunday June 5, 2011. Authorities have evacuated about 600 people in the nearby area. The volcano was calm on Sunday, one day after raining down ash and forcing thousands to flee, although the cloud of soot it had belched out still darkened skies as far away as Argentina. (Francisco Negroni/AgenciaUno/Associated Press)

An aerial picture showing the cloud of ash billowing from Puyehue volcano near Osorno in southern Chile, 870 km south of Santiago, taken on June 5. (Claudio Santana/AFP/Getty Images)

Inhabitants inspect the Gol-Gol river covered with ashes from Chile's Puyehue-Cordon Caulle chain volcano, June 7. (Ivan Alvarado/Reuters)

The Entre Lagos coast, near the Puyehue volcano, close to Osorno, 870 km south of Santiago on June 7. Dozens of South American flights had to be scrapped Tuesday because of the huge cloud of volcanic ash spewing from a Chilean volcano, as fears grew of possible landslides near the eruption. So far 4,000 people have been evacuated from 22 rural Chilean communities surrounding the Puyehue volcano, which rumbled to life on Saturday after showing no activity since 1960, when it erupted following a magnitude 9.5 earthquake. (Claudio Santana/AFP/Getty Images)

A worker clears ash from a volcano in the Puyehue-Cordon Caulle chain, 100 miles (160 km) to the west, in the Argentine resort city of San Carlos de Bariloche June 5. (Chiwi Giambirtone/Reuters)

Lightning strikes over the Puyehue volcano, over 500 miles south of Santiago, Chile, Monday June 6. Authorities have evacuated about 3,500 people in the nearby area. The volcano was calm on Monday, two days after raining down ash and forcing thousands to flee, although the cloud of soot it had belched out still darkened skies as far away as Argentina. (Francisco Negroni/ AgenciaUno/Associated Press)