When you think of volcanoes you often think of regions like Oceania or Italy. However there are many places around the world that have high volcanic activity. One of them is the country of Chile in South America. When you look at the location on a physical map you get an idea why that is so. First Chile faces the Pacific Ocean so it is already along the boundary of a region known for its volcanoes.
Another piece of evidence is the Andes mountain range which serves as its back bone. Like its counterparts the Alps and Himalayas, the Andes mountain range is the product of two major plated undergoing subduction. Essentially one tectonic plate is being forced under another plate. The problem for Chile is that the northern two thirds of the country lies on top of the Nazca plate, the one that is being forced under the plate that most of South America is on. This makes Chile the perfect place for volcanoes.
Chile has over 500 volcanoes and several of them are active. If this makes you wonder why anyone would live there, don’t worry. The volcanoes in Chile are not as active as other parts of the world. One reason why is way the Nazca plate is subducting. While the process does create magma and lava it also cuts the volcanoes of Chile from the main supply of magma beneath the earth’s crust.
The majority of Chilean Volcanoes are stratovolcanoes. They essentially are formed when lava flows and ash accumulate over time into peaks. The stratovolcanoes of Chile are also among the highest in the world.
All the same volcanoes still can cause serious damage when the enter a full eruption. There is also the risk of earthquakes because of the fault where the two plates meet. Several powerful earthquake and eruptions have occurred that prove the point. One particularly powerful earthquake actually caused an entire section of coast line to sink a couple of feet below sea level. There is also the problem of pyroclastic eruptions and connected disasters such as mudslides.
Despite these challenges volcanism in Chile also gives scientist an opportunity to study how volcanoes are formed and how the interact with plate activity. This has practical applications especially for the people of Chile. For one, scientist can develop better warning systems. This has become more important especially in light of disasters in other regions such as the Caribbean. Many lives could be saved with proper warning and preparation.
If you enjoyed this article there are many others on Universe Today that you might enjoy. There is a great article about famous volcanoes. There is also an interesting article about extinct volcanoes.
You can also find other resources on volcanoes online. The San Diego geology website has some great information on how volcanoes work. You can also take a look at United States Geologic survey web site. It has a lot of information on Chilean volcanoes and their history.
You can also check out Astronomy Cast. Episode 141 on volcanoes is quite interesting.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_volcanoes_in_Chile
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Chile/description_chile_volcanoes.html
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