The massive, double-peaked Hasan Dagi stratovolcano in central Turkey has a complex history that includes three episodes of caldera collapse. Numerous cinder cones, maars, and lava flows dot the flanks of the volcano. The hilly terrain in the foreground is a debris-avalanche deposit produced by collapse of the volcano. Photo by Richard Waitt, 1994 (U.S. Geological Survey).
Chaitén erupted on 2 May, following increased seismicity in the region the day before. A pulsating white to gray ash plume rose to an estimated altitude greater than 21 km (68,900 ft) a.s.l. The Alert Level was raised to Red. According to news sources, ashfall was reported during 2-6 May both locally and up to hundreds of kilometers away, affecting water supplies and roads. On 6 May, the eruption became more forceful and generated a wider and darker gray ash plume to an estimated altitude of 30 km (98,400 ft) a.s.l.
Based on information from RVO, the Darwin VAAC reported that Balbi erupted on 7 May. Ash was not detected on satellite imagery.
The Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program seeks better understanding of all volcanoes through documenting their eruptions — small as well as large — during the past 10,000 years.
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