348 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 196 2 



Volcan Puyeliue (fig. 2). The same plane had passed the volcano at 

 1 :30 p.m. on the trip south. At the time they saw the eruption a 

 cloud of ash and steam had ascended to at least 20,000 feet, and the 

 volcano was in an explosive phase of its eruption. Large smoking 

 rocks flew through the air, and the gigantic explosions, heard inside 

 the aircraft, reminded the crew members forcibly of their wartime 

 experiences with antiaircraft fire. 



The eruption continued for several weeks. Ash and steam were 

 emitted along the length of a fissure about 300 m. long, situated on 

 the northwestern flank of the crater of Puyehue itself (pi. 8, fig. 2). 

 The zone of Assuring was about 100 m. wide. Steam emerged from 

 8 or 10 bocas, and volcanic ash from one or two larger orifices. The 

 ash falling near the holes made a small cone around the larger of 

 these orifices. The ash from the volcano made a beautiful panache 

 against the sky and was driven by the wind over the mountains where 

 it fell, giving the landscape the aspect of a fresh fall of somewhat 

 sooty snow. For several days ash fell in the central valley, and some 

 alarm was expressed by farm owners who feared for their pastures. 

 Fortunately, no harm was done. 



The ash eruption was followed by the discharge of a viscous lava, 

 making several flows about 1 km. in length. The eruption seemed to 

 be terminated when the area was visited on July 22 ; the lava, although 

 still hot, was no longer in motion. 



The local newspapers, in an unparalleled burst of enthusiasm, re- 

 ported that 12 volcanoes had exploded and that 2 new ones had been 

 formed. Lava was reported to be flowing down the sides of several of 

 these volcanoes, and towns were said to have been buried. Because of 

 the bad weather and poor visibility in the central valley, the in- 

 habitants of the valley towns all believed that the volcanoes were, 

 indeed, erupting and were concerned by the situation for a period of 

 several weeks. Newspapers and news magazines all over the world 

 repeated and enlarged on these stories. 



The last eruption noted in this region was that of Volcan Nilahue 

 (fig. 2), located on Cerro Carran (and sometimes referred to by that 

 name). Nilahue, situated some 20 km. north of Puyehue crater, 

 erupted in July and August 1955,^ discharging ash and dust [2]. The 

 last eruption previous to this one seems to have been that of Volcan 

 Eininahue, some 3 km. to the south, in 1907. The last eruption 

 ascribed to Puyehue proper was in 1905, according to Gutenberg and 

 Eichter [3]. 



Las Azufreras, a fumarolic area on the northwestern flank of 

 Puyehue, erupted in 1921 and January 1922 with a large outpouring 

 of lava [4]. Cassertano^ points out that the location given by 



^ Unpublished IIG manuscript by Carlos Klohn. 



* Personal communication to Pierre Saint- Amand, dated 1960. 



