What is the load of volcanic ash. Big encyclopedia of oil and gas

Panin A.V.

“Moses stretched out his hand to heaven, and there was thick darkness over all the land of Egypt for three days; did not see each other, and no one got up from his place for three days "

(Ex. 10:22-23)

For most of us, the word “volcano” brings up in the eyes of Pompey, who died during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. and turned into a visual image by the artist Karl Bryullov. Volcanism, this formidable phenomenon of nature, is studied by the special science of volcanology. Lava flows and scorching clouds that burn everything in their path, floods-yokullaups (emissions of water from molten volcanic glaciers), powerful all-destroying earthquakes, tsunamis devastating sea coasts are repeatedly described in popular science literature. The author, on the other hand, would like to draw attention to one of the phenomena of volcanic activity, which usually remains in the shadow of its catastrophic manifestations and, until recently, was of more interest to specialists than to the general public.

We are talking about emissions into the atmosphere of the smallest solid particles - volcanic ash. In contrast to the catastrophic consequences of eruptions, which have a local, but on the scale of the Earth, literally point coverage (except for tsunamis), volcanic dusting of the atmosphere and ashfall affect large regions and even affect the global climate. The informational reason for this conversation was the recent eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyyafyatlayokudl. Powerful ash emissions into the atmosphere paralyzed air traffic over Europe. More than 100,000 flights have been canceled or postponed around the world, about ten million passengers have been affected, and airlines have suffered damage of 2.5 billion euros.

What is volcanic ash

But let's start in order: what is volcanic ash and how it is formed. During a volcanic eruption from the bowels of the earth's surface and into the atmosphere, three types of products will fall: lava (melt of rocks), pyroclasts, or tephra (solid particles of different sizes: ash - a particle the size of dust particles (hundredths of a millimeter), lapilli - small pebbles, volcanic bombs - large fragments) and various gases. It is estimated that, in general, volcanoes erupt six times more pyroclasts than lavas.

When magma (future lava) is at a depth under enormous pressure, many gases are dissolved in it. A physical law applies here: the solubility of a gas in a liquid is directly proportional to the pressure. As magma approaches the surface and pressure drops, degassing occurs - excess gases are released in the form of bubbles. Through cracks, gases migrate to the earth's surface and enter the air in the form of haze, called fumaroles, which are considered signs of volcanic activity. The most dangerous situation is created if the gases released in the bowels have no opportunity to dissipate and they accumulate underground. An increase in pressure can lead to a powerful explosion with the destruction of the top of the volcano, and even the entire volcanic structure as a whole. Another type of volcanic catastrophe is the collapse of the top of the volcano into underground voids formed during the eruption as a result of the escape of magma. This is how a caldera is formed - a huge (diameter from 1.5 to 15-20 km) rounded failure many hundreds of meters deep.

From the surface of the lava lake, boiling in the crater of the volcano, hot gases are constantly emitted - this is why lava boils and bubbles. Rising up at high speed, the gases carry with them small droplets of lava, which quickly solidify and turn into particles of volcanic ash. This is how an ash column, or an ash plume, rises above the volcano to great heights (sometimes to the stratosphere) and is then carried by air currents hundreds and thousands of kilometers from the epicenter of the eruption. From the air, the ash is precipitated by atmospheric precipitation. If the concentration of ash in the air was high, a whole layer of ash would form on the surface of the land. Near the volcano, in one eruption, a layer of ash and larger pyroclasts with a thickness of meters and even a few tens of meters can settle. With distance from the volcano, the concentration of ash in the atmosphere decreases in proportion to the square of the distance, and the thickness of the ash layers decreases rapidly.

Volcanoes and weather

It has long been noted that after the strongest volcanic eruptions, a noticeable decrease in temperature usually follows in individual regions and even globally. This kind of effect is called "volcanic winter", by analogy with the "nuclear winter". It is caused by ash and droplets of sulfuric acid released into the atmosphere, which reduce the permeability of the atmosphere to solar radiation and increase the so-called Earth's albedo - the fraction of radiation that is reflected back into space. It is clear that the amount of radiation reaching the earth's surface and used to heat the surface air is decreasing. However, from the troposphere (lower 10-18 km of the atmosphere), pollution is quickly, from several days to several months, washed out by rains, while after strong eruptions cooling periods of up to three to four years were observed. They are associated with the penetration of the smallest aerosol components of ash material into the stratosphere (up to altitudes of 40-50 km), where there is practically no precipitation, and purification from pollution occurs much more slowly. Here are some of the most famous historical examples of "volcanic winter".

Huge clouds of ash were thrown into the atmosphere as a result of the explosion of the island volcano Santorini in the Aegean Sea, which is considered the most powerful eruption in historical time. On the island itself, the thickness of the ash layer in places exceeds twenty meters. Previously, it was believed that located 110 km south of about. Crete was covered with a three-meter layer of ash, which caused the death of vegetation and starvation among the local population. As a result, the population left the island, which caused irreparable damage to the Minoan civilization, known to us from ancient Greek mythology according to King Minos and the Knossos Labyrinth built on his orders by the brilliant engineer Daedalus (Minotaur, Theseus, Ariadne's thread). However, recent studies have shown that the layer of ash that fell on Crete did not exceed five millimeters. The damage caused to the Minoan civilization is now associated with a powerful earthquake that preceded the eruption and a 150-meter tsunami caused by the collapse of the volcano that devastated the northern coast of Crete.

Some scholars associate with the eruption of Santorini the "darkness of Egypt" reflected in the "Old Testament", the ninth of ten punishments sent down on Egypt to force the pharaoh to let the Jewish people go. According to Jewish tradition, the exodus of the Jews from Egypt dates back to 1312 BC. At the same time, according to the latest radiocarbon analysis, the most probable time of the explosion of Santorin is between 1600-1630 BC. An even more accurate date is given by dendrochronological analysis (determining the width of annual tree rings): in the period 1628-1629 BC. there is a sharp drop in the rate of growth of oaks in Ireland, England and Germany, as well as spiny pine in California. This is associated with a cold snap that has engulfed the entire Northern Hemisphere, caused by atmospheric dusting.

The consequences of volcanic eruptions include extreme weather events of 535-536 AD, including the most severe episodes of short-term cooling for the entire time of the new era (snow in August 536 in China). The main evidence of a decrease in the transparency of the atmosphere is provided by the Byzantine historian Procopius, who noted the unusually weak brightness of the Sun in 536. In the recently studied columns of Antarctic and Greenland ice in layers dating back to this time, a jump in the concentration of sulfates was noted, which could get into the ice only from the atmosphere. This indicates a high concentration of acidic aerosols in the atmosphere, which are usually of volcanic origin. Two possible sources of these emissions are in the tropics - the Krakatau volcano in the Java Strait (which no longer exists in its previous form) and the Rabaul volcano on the island of New Guinea.

In the Middle Ages, at least two weather and climate extremes were attributed to volcanic activity. The "Great Famine" of 1315-1317 in Europe, infamous for extremely high levels of crime, disease and mass deaths, and even cannibalism, is a consequence of global cooling as a result of the five-year eruption of the Kaharoa volcano in New Zealand. Extremely cold winters in Northern and death of the grape harvest in Southern Europe in 1601-1602, a severe famine in Russia in 1601-1603, which gave rise to the "Time of Troubles" - the consequences of the eruption of the Huaynaputina volcano in Peru on February 19, 1600, the strongest in historical time eruptions in South America.

In modern times, the most famous is the “Year without a summer”, or “year of poverty”: this is the name for 1816 with an unusually cold summer that ruined crops in Europe, Canada and the United States, which caused what is considered the last serious food crisis in the West. Interestingly, in Eastern Europe the summer of 1816 was even warmer than usual. This shows that the mechanism of weather and climate changes under the influence of atmospheric dustiness is very complex. A reduction in the influx of solar heat causes a restructuring of atmospheric pressure and atmospheric circulation, and the paths of movement of air masses change. Somewhere it becomes wetter, and somewhere drier, in most places it is colder, but somewhere it is warmer, despite the fact that in general there is a cooling. In 1816, the global average annual temperature dropped by 0.4-0.7°C. Most researchers believe that the reason for this is the coincidence of two factors: the low solar activity (the so-called Delton minimum) was superimposed by the consequences of the Tambora volcano eruption in Indonesia on April 10-11, 1815. This eruption is recognized as the strongest after Santorin and the record holder in terms of pyroclastic emissions - more than 150 cubic kilometers, according to the famous volcanologist V.A.Aprodov.

"The Year Without Summer" has left its mark on world culture. In the summer of 1816, Lord Byron, who was resting on the shores of Lake Geneva, was visited by his friends Mary and Percy Shelley. As Mary writes in the preface to her future famous novel, instead of the usual delightful weather for these places, “there was a gloomy wet summer, and incessant rain often forced us to stay away from home for days.” To pass the time, the companions started a writing competition: for the best story, reflecting the gloomy mood that reigned in the house. Mary won. After some revision, the famous "Frankenstein, or the modern Prometheus" appeared, first published in London in 1818 and repeatedly reprinted, and then later filmed. Byron, in July 1816, wrote the poem "Darkness", in which the following picture of "volcanic winter" is drawn:

I had a dream... Not everything in it was a dream.

The bright sun went out, and the stars

Wandering aimlessly, without rays

In space eternal; icy ground

Worn blindly in the moonless air.

The hour of the morning came and went,

But he did not bring the day after him ...

And people - in the horror of the great misfortune

Forgotten passions...

(translated by I.S. Turgenev)

Finally, one cannot fail to mention the explosion of the Krakatau volcano located between the islands of Java and Sumatra at the end of August 1883. Three small islands located in a ring remained from the 800-meter conical mountain. The ash column rose into the stratosphere to a height of 30 km, and gases even reached the mesosphere (70 km). The total volume of material ejected during the explosion is estimated at 18 cubic kilometers. Such a powerful event could not but affect the global climate. The negative temperature anomaly was observed for at least four years after the eruption, and in the first year the global average annual temperature dropped by 1.2°C. Is it a lot or a little? Judge for yourself: 20,000 years ago, the Earth experienced the coldest time in the last 300 million years, and the global temperature was only 3°C lower than today. Therefore, it is no coincidence that for a long time the volcanic theory of the origin of ice ages was popular, which associated long-term deep cooling of the climate and the formation of powerful ice sheets in polar and temperate latitudes with an increase in volcanic activity. However, it is now clear that the impact of each strong volcanic eruption on the global climate is limited by the residence time of aerosol pollution in the stratosphere and does not exceed four to five years. In order for the cooling of the climate to last several thousand years, it is necessary that during all this time (or at least at the beginning, before the formation of ice caps) several Krakataus exploded every year. This is not recorded in the geological record. So, most likely, volcanoes and volcanic ash cannot serve as an independent cause of long-term cooling of the climate, but, as follows from the examples given, they are quite capable of spoiling the weather for several years.

Ashfalls affected people's lives in prehistoric times as well. Another evidence of this was discovered not so long ago, forty kilometers from Voronezh on the right bank of the Don at the Upper Paleolithic site Kostenki-14 (“Mammoth Mountain”). In 2000, an expedition led by A.A. Sinitsyn, an employee of the St. Petersburg Institute of the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences, found a layer of volcanic ash several centimeters thick. The age of the ashes turned out to be thirty-two-thirty-three, according to other sources - about forty thousand years. According to the chemical composition of the ash, it was established that it belongs to a well-studied volcanic region - the Phlegraean fields near modern Naples. Ashes similar in composition were found in the sediments of the Adriatic Sea. Such a significant fallout of ash two thousand kilometers from its source suggests that the atmosphere as a result of this eruption was extremely dusty, and the effect of a “volcanic winter” could well have manifested itself. Directly under the layer of ash, female ornaments were found made of shells and tubular bones of arctic fox with an ornament, the type of which and the technique of execution are typical for archaeological sites, reliably associated with a person of a modern physical type. It was at this time that Homo sapiens sapiens migrated to Europe from the Middle East, displacing the Neanderthals, and the Kostenkovo ​​finds are the most ancient artifacts of the ancestors of modern man in Europe. The fallout of volcanic ash, apparently, was a real disaster for people, forcing them to leave their homes, just as it happened repeatedly in the future in other places.

Volcanic eruption in Iceland

Let's go back to Eyyafyatlayokudl. American linguists from the Global Language Monitor found out that only about 320 thousand people, or 0.005% of the world's population, can correctly pronounce this name, and most of them are Icelanders. It will be easier if you break it down into three words, meaning in Icelandic "island-mountain-glacier." Indeed, above the surrounding space, like an island, rises a volcanic structure 1666 m high with a peak covered by the sixth largest glacier in Iceland. The last time the volcano erupted was in 1821-23. The first of the current year's eruptions began on March 20, followed by a short pause, and on April 14 a second eruption began, this time right under the glacier. The melting of the glacier caused floods (yokullaups) on the rivers flowing from the volcano and the need to evacuate more than eight hundred people. Volcanic ash, covering the surroundings, disabled the pastures, and without waiting for the end of the eruption, many horse farmers posted advertisements for the sale of their plots. However, the problems of Icelandic farmers do not go to any comparison with the transport collapse that has gripped Europe. Cold glacial water quickly cooled the lava with the formation of the smallest particles of volcanic glass, which were involved in the volcanic cloud (plume). As a result, the rising volcanic gases turned out to be saturated with silicate particles, which are very dangerous for aviation. On different days, the ash column above the volcano rose to a height of up to thirteen kilometers, i.e. reached the stratosphere. Emissions of lava and, to a lesser extent, ash continued as of this writing (May 2).

The ash cloud formed on April 14 was picked up by the westerly winds prevailing over the North Atlantic and began to move rapidly towards continental Europe. The first to sound the alarm were the nearest neighbors - the British, who, moreover, had a negative experience of a similar situation. June 24, 1982 "Boeing-747" on the route London - Auckland (N. Zealand), accidentally hit the ash cloud of the Galungung volcano in Indonesia. As a result, all four engines failed simultaneously. The plane began to plan towards Jakarta (180 km) in the hope of somehow landing. When the plane left the cloud zone, all four engines started. Technical examination showed that ash particles, having got into a hot engine and melted, formed a vitreous coating on the turbine blades and blocked the air supply to various engine components. When the engines stalled and cooled, the frozen glass crust began to break off, the air supply resumed, and the engines were able to start again. Eighty kilos of volcanic ash were then removed from each turbine.

Starting April 15, a significant portion of scheduled flights over Western and Central Europe have been cancelled. The wind regime played a key role in the spread of the ash cloud: while half of the European airports 1, 5-2, 5 thousand kilometers from the volcano were closed, the Reykjavik airport, located just one hundred and fifty kilometers west of it, functioned safely. On April 21, the eruption entered a new phase: the intensity of ash activity decreased markedly, explosions were heard and lava fountains appeared. The atmosphere over continental Europe cleared up enough, and most regular flights were resumed. And on April 23, due to a change in wind direction, an ash cloud first appeared near Reykjavik, which forced the local airport to be temporarily closed.

The uniqueness of the Eyjafjallajokull eruption lies in the fact that it was in the era of aviation that such powerful ash pollution of the atmosphere, and even in such a densely populated area of ​​​​the world, was observed for the first time. Hence such an unprecedented reaction of the aviation authorities, which was reinforced, moreover, by the crash of the Polish president’s plane just the day before near Smolensk (there was even a theory of “geological weapons” in the press, according to which the Eyjafjallajökull eruption was caused artificially to divert attention from that terrible tragedy) . However, this eruption had, oddly enough, a positive side, which could also manifest itself only in the modern era: it brought Iceland's tourism business out of the crisis. Tourists from all over the world flocked to the country, seeking to see with their own eyes a unique natural phenomenon. A similar picture could be observed in the fall of 2005 in the United States: whole buses of organized tourists rushed to the Mississippi Delta to look at the city of New Orleans flooded in late August by Hurricane Katrina. For some local residents, the desire to “stare” at their misfortune caused rejection, for others, on the contrary, they hoped to attract more attention and help from the authorities.

One way or another, Eyyafyatlayokudl is the second precedent of its kind, which allows us to talk about the emergence of a new direction of tourism - "disaster tourism". This is also a sign of our days: not only during the time of King Minos, but just over a century ago, during the explosion of Krakatau, ordinary people had neither a cognitive interest in such events, nor the ability to quickly get to the right place. And one more dash of time: April 29, i.e. just two weeks after the start of the eruption, the Times newspaper announced the sale of wristwatches, partly made from the ashes of Eyjafjallajökull. They were produced in a limited edition by the Swiss company Romain Jerome. According to a company representative, this watch will become "one of the most striking symbols of the global emotions of our time."

Thus, the role of volcanoes and volcanic ash in people's lives is changing along with the development of human society, its technical capabilities, the level of science, the principles of morality and ethics. What will this role be in the future - the plot is more likely not for scientists, but for science fiction writers. However, their fantasies often become reality ...

In a number of European countries, the appearance of particles in the air has already been noted. volcanic dust, and everyone hopes that silicon dioxide, which is released during volcanic eruptions and poses a danger not only to the lungs and heart, but also the risk of lung cancer, does not fall out.

Emissions from a volcano that has come to life in Iceland rise into the air, are carried in the upper air layers over vast distances and gradually descend to the ground.
Experts still do not have a common opinion about whether these emissions are dangerous for people, and if so, to what extent. But doctors warn those with lung, heart, and allergy sufferers to limit their time outdoors when the concentration of volcanic dust in the air in their homes rises.

A cloud of volcanic dust consists of the smallest particles of rocks, of which, in fact, the volcano consists. These particles also contain impurities of lava and ash.
Some particles have an acidic coating that causes slight irritation to the skin, lungs and eyes.

However, according to the researchers, the concentration of such particles in the dust cloud is quite low, so they do not cause significant harm. Doctors, based on the experience of many previous volcanic eruptions, believe that this phenomenon does not pose a health risk from volcanic dust.

So far, experts from the World Health Organization recommend that people stay indoors when a cloud of volcanic dust is over their place of residence. Dust particles have already begun to settle on the territory of Iceland, England, Scotland, Germany, but no instructions have been made to restrict the movement of people in these areas.

What they fear: silicon dioxide

Some scientists warn of the danger associated with the possible appearance of silicon dioxide in the composition of volcanic dust. This substance is an integral part of the rocks that make up the volcano itself.
Being released during a volcanic eruption, silicon dioxide, settling from a dust cloud and getting into the lungs, can cause their serious illness, up to an increased risk of lung cancer, and also poses a threat to the heart.

The disease caused by silicon dioxide, silicosis, presents considerable difficulties for treatment and threatens the life of patients. Israeli scientists say that it is still not known exactly what components the cloud of volcanic dust that has now formed in Iceland consists of.

What happens to the body when polluted air is inhaled? The most vulnerable in this case is, of course, the respiratory system. The penetration of dust particles into the bronchi and alveoli of the lungs leads to an increase in the sputum they secrete. This is a protective reaction of the lung tissue to external stimuli.

However, this reaction acquires redundant features characteristic of allergies. With the development of allergies, not only the lungs are filled with phlegm, but tearing and itching in the eyes, irritation of the mucus in the throat, and asthma attacks also begin.
Against this background, viruses and microbes located in the lungs are activated, which leads to the further development of inflammatory diseases of the respiratory system.

Impaired lung function adversely affects cardiac activity. The heart “pump”, designed to operate at a constant but low speed, cannot cope with the increasing load: the lack of oxygen requires the heart to increase the rhythm of activity. In people with insufficient heart blood supply, this condition can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Problems of respiratory and cardiac activity cannot but affect the entire body. Due to the increase in blood pressure, fatigue, headaches, deterioration in general condition appear, and the risk of developing a heart attack and cerebral hemorrhage increases.

Currently, meteorologists, environmentalists and specialists from many other industries are closely monitoring the movement of a cloud of volcanic dust, the degree of deposition of its particles and their composition.
In case of deterioration of the ecological situation, the population will be immediately informed and will receive recommendations for correct behavior.

At the moment, there is no threat to human health.

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Volcanic dust, judging by some data, can even be present in the troposphere for quite a long time. At least in the glacial deposits of Antarctica, volcanic ash was discovered, which was transported to a distance of at least 4000 km, and the age of the studied deposits ranged from 18 to 16 million years.

The wind carries over long distances volcanic dust flying out during volcanic eruptions.

The decrease in solar radiation by volcanic dust hanging in the atmosphere can reach very high values.

In mixed effusive-explosive, extrusive-explosive, and other eruptions, an important characteristic is the explosivity coefficient, expressed as a percentage of the amount of pyroclastic material (volcanic dust, sand, volcanic bombs, etc.) of the total mass of products.

Another type of crown (this crown is much larger, its angular radius reaches 15) is the white and red-brown Bishop's ring, which is formed due to dispersion in the atmosphere of volcanic dust. After some volcanic eruptions, the sun turns beautiful golden hues at dusk; the twilight sky acquires an incredible richness of colors; at the same time, a second (see problem 5.60) purple ray appears in the sky, which persists for several hours after sunset.

Volcanic dust can pollute the earth's atmosphere somewhat more. Air currents can carry volcanic dust over very long distances.

It is difficult, however, to explain why such dust clouds sometimes persist for whole weeks and cover almost the entire disk of the planet, especially with weak winds, the speed of which (several km / s) can be determined from the movement of clouds. It has also been suggested that clouds of volcanic dust (Jarry-Deloges) exist in the atmosphere of Mars, which on Earth remain in the high layers of the atmosphere for a very long time, but we do not know anything about the presence of numerous active volcanoes on Mars. The height at which clouds of the second type are located is approximately 5 km above the surface of the planet, and they are located definitely lower than the clouds of the first type. The height of the violet layer, which, apparently, is located between the yellow and blue clouds, may be close to 10 or 15 km, but the possibility of even higher values ​​\u200b\u200bis not excluded.

When these clouds were noticed for the first time, at first it was decided that they arose as a result of the condensation of vapors brought high into the atmosphere along with volcanic dust during the powerful eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in August 1883. True, almost two of the year. In addition, it was not clear why these clouds were not observed after other catastrophic volcanic eruptions. The appearance of rather bright silvery clouds after the fall of the famous Tunguska meteorite (June 30, 1908) gave rise to the idea that the clouds owe their origin to meteorites. In the first quarter of our century, the meteorite hypothesis became popular, according to which particles of noctilucent clouds are very small fragments of meteorites, products of their dispersion in the atmosphere.

The main sources of aerosol particles in the atmosphere are soil, seas and oceans, volcanoes, forest fires, particles of biological origin, and even meteorites. If we take the amount of meteorite dust falling on the earth per year as one, then forest fires, dust from deserts and soil, sea salt and volcanic dust are 35, 750, 1,500 and 50, respectively.

The ash destroyed the fields on the islands of Bali, Lombok, a large part of Java. Volcanic dust that filled the stratosphere caused a sharp cooling, crop failure and famine in Europe and America.

Alumina bentonite is very convenient for demonstrating thixotropy. Its particles are very asymmetrical and have the form of long thin plates. Bentonite is obtained from volcanic dust and its main component is the mineral montmorillonite. It is one of the few inorganic substances that swell in water. To obtain a thixotropic bentonite gel, water is mixed with clay until the desired consistency is reached. The amount of water added determines the hardening time of the gel. If the clay suspension is sufficiently concentrated, then you can hear how the liquid suspension moves when the gel is shaken vigorously in the test tube, but the gelation time is so short that if the shaking is stopped, the gel immediately solidifies and no liquid state is observed at all.

And finally, it is also necessary to consider impurities coming from outside. With regard to human activity, three main sources can be mentioned here: combustion products from stationary sources (power plants); combustion products from moving sources (vehicles); industrial processes. The five main impurities emitted by these sources are carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds (including hydrocarbons), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and particles. Internal combustion processes in vehicles are a major source of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons and an important source of nitrogen oxides. Combustion processes in stationary sources emit sulfur oxides. Industrial processes and stationary sources of combustion products produce more than half of the particles emitted into the air by human activity, and industrial processes can also be a source of volatile organic compounds. There are also impurities such as particles of volcanic dust, soil and sea salt, as well as spores and microorganisms of natural origin, spreading in the air. The composition of the outdoor air varies depending on the location of the building and depends both on the presence of sources of impurities nearby, and on the nature of these sources, as well as on the direction of the prevailing wind. However, urban air always contains much higher concentrations of these impurities.

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Although the eruption of the Puyehue volcano has slowed down slightly since June 4, it still continues to wreak havoc in the surrounding area, both close and much further. Ash and pumice pollute nearby rivers and lakes, threatening to damage dams or cause flooding. Argentine resorts, normally gearing up for the opening of the ski season, are digging out from under a blanket of ash and trying to restore water and electricity cut off by the volcano. Evacuated residents of nearby farms and lands are worried about their cattle left on pastures Puyehue's ash cloud is already circling the planet somewhere high in the atmosphere, interfering with the normal functioning of flights in Australia and New Zealand.

(Total 34 photos)

1. Argentine divers inspect the Rio Limay, covered with pumice and ash from the Puyehue volcano in the ski resort of San Carlos de Bariloche in Argentina on June 16. (Reuters/Chiwi Giambirtone)

2. A column of ash and gas rises during the eruption of the Puyehue volcano in Chile, near the border with Argentina on June 15. (AP Photo/Alvaro Vidal)

3. Pumice in a mountain lake (upper right) east of the Puyehue volcano. The photo was taken from the EO-1 satellite. Parts of the lake not covered with pumice are aquamarine due to the presence of ash that has settled on the water. A plume of smoke can be seen at the bottom of the image, evidence of a continuous eruption that began on June 4. (NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, using EO-1 ALI data)

4. A man in a protective mask on the streets covered with volcanic ash in Villa La Angostura in southern Argentina. (AP Photo/Federico Grosso)

5. Boat in volcanic ash on the shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi in Villa La Angostura in southern Argentina. (AP Photo/Federico Grosso)

6. Volcanic cloud at sunset in the ski resort of San Martin de Los Andes in Argentina. (Reuters/Patricio Rodriguez)

7. Policemen against the backdrop of warm waters overflowing the banks of the Nilahue River after the eruption of the Puyehue volcano in Los Venados in Chile. (AP Photo/Roberto Candia)

8. Argentine border guards and rescuers remove ashes from trees in the water stream leading to the lake to avoid water congestion in Villa La Angostura. (AP Photo/Federico Grosso)

9. A detailed image of the volcanic ash and pumice of the Puyehue volcano in the water of the Gol-Gol River near the border of Chile and Argentina. (AP Photo/Alvaro Vidal)

10. Dead fish among the pumice in the river Nilahue after a volcanic eruption in Rininahue, Chile. (AP Photo/Carlos Succo)

11. A plume of smoke from the Puyehue volcano rising up among the clouds in southern Chile. (AP Photo/Roberto Candia)

12. The MODIS spacecraft on NASA's Terra satellite captured this image of an ash plume from the Puyehue volcano extending into South America. The wind changed its direction and blew from west to southwest, pushing the plume to the east and northeast. (Reuters/NASA Goddard/MODIS Rapid Response, Jeff Schmaltz)

13. A concentrated plume of ash far, far away (horizontal strip in the middle), being in the atmosphere 6-11 km over Australia and New Zealand. The medium-resolution imaging spectroradiometer on the Aqua satellite took this image on June 13. (NASA/Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC)

14. A road covered in volcanic ash from the Puyehue volcano to Villa La Angostura in southern Argentina. The inscription on the sign in Spanish: "Caution, children." (AP Photo/Federico Grosso)

15. A young man on the shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi, covered with ash, near San Carlos de Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina, four days after the start of the eruption. (Francisco Ramos Mejia/AFP/Getty Images)

16. Lake Najuel Huapi and part of its coast, covered with ash and pumice from the Puyehue volcano in the resort town of San Carlos de Bariloche. (Reuters/Chiwi Giambirtone)

17. Part of Lake Puyehue completely covered with ash and pumice from the eruption of the volcano of the same name in Puyehue. (AP Photo/Roberto Candia)

18. Lightning over Puyehue volcano. Photo taken from the border of Cardenal Zamora in southern Chile. (AP Photo/Alvaro Vidal)

19. A column of ash in the clouds after the eruption of the Puyehue volcano in Chile. (AP Photo/Alvaro Vidal)

20. A cow in wet ash from the Puyehue volcano in Villa La Angostura in southern Argentina. (AP Photo/Federico Grosso)

21. The car of the Argentine border guard on a mountain road covered with volcanic ash, in Villa Llanquin, near San Carlos de Bariloche. (Reuters/Gendarmeria)

22. Passenger at the window at the airport in Buenos Aires June 14. The Puyehue volcano has been erupting for more than 10 days, plunging South American airspace into chaos. As a result of the eruption, due to ash and smoke in Argentina, most regional and international flights were canceled. (Reuters/Marcos Brindicci)

23. Gol-Gol River, covered with pumice and volcanic ash, near Osorno, 870 km south of Santiago, Chile. (Claudio Santana/AFP/Getty Images)

24. Volcanic ash on the surface of Lake Najuel Huapi on the outskirts of San Carlos de Bariloche. (AP Photo/Photo Patagonia)

25. A cat on ash-covered ground near the Puyehue volcano in the ski resort of San Martin de Bariloche. (Reuters/Patricio Rodriguez)

26. Ski resort Villa la Angostura under the cover of volcanic ash. (Reuters/Osvaldo Peralta)29. Young people skateboard on an ash-covered street in the resort town of San Carlos de Bariloche. (AP Photo/Photo Patagonia)

30. Pumice and ash from the Puyehue volcano on the shore and surface of the lake in Paso Cardenal Zamora along the border between Argentina and Chile. (Reuters/Gendarmeria/Handout)

31. Argentines against the backdrop of an unusually turbulent lake covered with volcanic ash in San Carlos de Bariloche. (AP Photo/Alfredo Leiva)

34. A thick cloud of ash from the erupting Puyehue volcano near Osorno in southern Chile, 870 km south of the Chilean capital Santiago. (Alvaro Vidal/AFP/Getty Images)