Pacific Northwest Research Station

Chaitén Photoessay

Remote sensing image with locations

Caption: January 2010 view of the north flank of Chaiten volcano looking to the northwest with the new dome (red rock with steaming fumeroles in lower left), Rio Los Gigios bridge on Route 7 (RG), and Rio Rayas flowing from right to left in the upper right. Types of volcanic and river deposits and forest disturbance resulting from Chaiten eruption: tree removal zone at the caldera rim (A); toppled tree zone (B); scorch zone (C); sediment deposition in stream channels (D), sediment deposition in wetlands (E), and sediment deposition on floodplain of the Rio Rayas (F); tephrafall (thin [5-10 cm], sandy tephra in living forest (G), thick [15+ cm] gravel tephra in severely damaged forest (H); and debris flow deposits in stream channels (I). Photo: J. Pallister, US Geological Survey. Modified from Pallister et al (2010).