Calbuco has erupted without warning for the first time in over 4 decades. The volcano sits in the southern Andes - a destructive (subductive) plate boundary. The Nazca oceanic plate is subducted below the continental South American plate.
Location of Calbuco, Chile
Flights have been cancelled and or diverted due to the ash cloud that has drifted 20 km up into the atmosphere. 5000 people have been evacuated from the surrounding areas.
Ash has rained down. Remember volcanic ash is not like dust, but is powdered rock. Once mixed with water it becomes like a cement, so can be deadly if inhaled. It can lead to lahars if mixed with snow melt or flood waters.
Meanwhile in Kathmandu, Nepal an earthquake of 7.8 has shaken the region. It has caused mass destruction in the towns in the central Nepal region as well as avalanches in the Himalayas. This is the worst earthquake to hit Nepal for 80 years.
The region lies on a Collision Plate Boundary where the Indian sub-continent (Indo-Australian plate - Continental) is colliding with Eurasia; a Continental plate also. As the Indo-Australian plate continues to plough into Eurasia the Himalayas continue to rise and earthquakes are a common occurrence.
The location and magnitude of this earthquake, as well as it's shallow focus are the reasons why this particular earthquake has been so destructive.
Over 1000 people have died in Nepal and this is number will probably grow with many wounded and many trapped under rubble. There were also victims in Bangladesh, Tibet and on Mount Everest.
Immediate responses have included
USA - £0.7 million and a disaster response team have been employed USAID
Other aid has been pledged by the UK, France, India and Pakistan.
