At 2,015 m (6,611 ft), and topped with a 500 meter wide crater, the Calbuco volcano is spectacular site, but when Calbuco rumbled awake for the first time since 1972 earlier today, authorities signaled for a Red Alert and called for evacuations.
The Calbuco volcano located in the in the Los Lagos Region of southern Chile has erupted twice in the space of a few hours prompting authorities to declare a red alert and evacuate more than 4,000 people within a 20km (12 mile) radius of the giant.
[quote_box_right]Latin America has been seismically active in recent months. In early April, Costa Rica saw significant active. See the TCRN report: Turrialba Volcano Eruption.
Currently, VolcanoDiscovery.com shows eleven active volcanoes displaying significant seismic activity in Latin America.[/quote_box_right]
A huge column of ash was sent several kilometers into the air, causing flights to be rerouted as well as several cancellations.
Although the Calbuco volcano is considered one of the most active in Chile, its sudden explosion caught officials by surprise. The residence of the closets town of Ensenada as well as other smaller communities, were ordered to evacuate as the area around the volcano became covered in a cloud of ash.
Residents in many areas surrounding the volcano have been warned to stay indoors.