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35-650: Historically, Chaiten was the provincial capital. Due to the eruption of Chaitén Volcano and the subsequent destruction of that town, Futaleufú was named the new provincial capital in March 2009. Major tourist attractions in Palena Province include the Pumalín Park , one of the largest established wilderness protection areas in the world, Yelcho Lake, and the Futaleufu River. Pumalin was the dream of

70-456: A depth of 30 centimetres (12 in). Ash thickness estimates are often exaggerated during volcanic crises; later field investigations suggest that the average ash thickness deposited across Futaleufú was less than 5–10 cm (2–4 in). A team of scientists from the US was dispatched to the area to assess the air quality and the risks from chemicals in the falling ash. The initial phase of

105-405: A growing lava dome. Whether the dome will be stable remains uncertain, and there is an ongoing risk of collapse and explosive pyroclastic eruption. In August 2008, an expedition reached the summit of Chaiten volcano. The summit crater contained a 120 metres (390 ft) high lava dome. Earthquakes were felt at the summit. The lava dome was loudly degassing, and avalanches of lava boulders fell from

140-544: A new lava dome was observed to be forming in the crater, which by May 24 exceeded the height of the old dome. Initially, the dome extended towards the north side of the caldera, but following the emergence of two new vents in the south of the old dome around June 11 and a later one to the west, the expansion moved to the south, eventually blocking the drainage from the caldera floor. As of July 3, 2008, Chaitén continued to erupt, with associated seismic activity, an eruptive column of ash up to 3,000 metres (9,800 ft), and

175-526: Is 2,081.2 millimetres (81.94 in) and there are 169 days with measureable precipitation although this can vary widely from year to year, ranging from a high of 3,536.8 millimetres (139.24 in) in 1971 to a low of only 1,159.3 millimetres (45.64 in) in 1998. The record high was 37.0 °C (98.6 °F) in December 1956 and the record low was −11.2 °C (11.8 °F) in July 2007. According to

210-549: Is a diverse and massive reserve with an extensive infrastructure of trails, campgrounds, and visitor centres. La Hoya, an Argentine ski resort with 2000 feet of vertical drop and one of the longest ski seasons in South America, is a 70-minute drive from Futaleufú. Another attraction across the Argentine border is Los Alerces National Park, a UNESCO protected reserve which features the Futaleufu River headwaters and one of

245-617: Is a frontier town with a growing tourism industry based on adventure tourism—most specifically whitewater rafting—but also fishing, mountain biking, trekking, and canyoning. Due to its proximity to the Argentine border, Futaleufú is most easily accessed from airports in Esquel and Bariloche, Argentina. Other tourists access the town through the Northern Patagonia Airport in Chaiten, or vía a system of ferries that leave from

280-426: Is also changing the demographic composition of Futaleufú as young families from Santiago, Argentina, Brazil, Western Europe and North America have immigrated in recent years. As a commune, Futaleufú is a third-level administrative division of Chile administered by a municipal council and led by an alcalde who is directly elected every four years. Since 2018, the alcalde has been Fernando Grandón Domke. Within

315-952: Is also possible on the Futaleufú River, the Rio Chico, the Yelcho River (the largest river in the Futaleufú Valley) and the Espolon River, which is the largest tributary of the Futaleufú and contains brown trout and rainbow trout , as well as salmon in April and May. Other nearby attractions include the Futaleufú National Reserve , known for its population of Huemul ( South Andean deer ), Queulat National Park, and Pumalín Park . Pumalin

350-456: Is high, averaging around 77–86%. Few days are dry in winter, since there are 18–19 days with measurable precipitation from June to August. Snowfalls occur in most years though prolonged snowfall events are uncommon. Summers are drier and mild with a January average of 16.8 °C (62.2 °F) and during this time, precipitation is lower, averaging 81.1 millimetres (3.2 in) in February,

385-537: Is slowly recovering. Its current population is about 900 people. This eruption is known as the first major explosive eruption of rhyolite magma in nearly a century, since the 1912 eruption of Novarupta , in Alaska . Although there have been rhyolitic eruptions in the southern section of the Southern Volcanic Zone in the past, these are relatively scarce and there is no historic rhyolitic eruption of

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420-551: Is whitewater kayaking and rafting, together with fly fishing and other associated outdoor sports. Many original residents raise sheep, cattle and practice small scale subsistence farming. A gravel road links the town to Trevelin in Argentina and to the Carretera Austral . It is served by Futaleufú Airfield . Following the eruption of Chaitén Volcano and the subsequent destruction of Chaitén , Futaleufú has been

455-574: The electoral divisions of Chile , Futaleufú is represented in the Chamber of Deputies by Gabriel Ascencio (PDC) and Alejandro Santana ( RN ) as part of the 58th electoral district together with Castro , Ancud , Quemchi , Dalcahue , Curaco de Vélez , Quinchao , Puqueldón , Chonchi , Queilén , Quellón , Chaitén , Hualaihué and Palena . The commune is represented in the Senate by Rabindranath Quinteros (PS) and Iván Moreira (UDI) , as part of

490-483: The president . The province comprises four communes , each governed by a municipality, headed by an alcalde . According to the 2002 census by the National Statistics Institute ( INE ), the province spans an area of 15,301.9 km (5,908 sq mi) and had a population of 18,971 inhabitants (10,255 men and 8,716 women), giving it a population density of 1.2/km (3/sq mi). It is

525-530: The 17th senatorial constituency (Los Lagos Region). The Futaleufú River is commonly rated by specialized media as one of the best rivers in the world for kayaking and rafting. The river flows in from Argentina, through the town, and empties into the fjord -shaped Yelcho Lake. Day trips and multi-day trips are available on "the Futa" while several of its tributaries, such as the Espolón River, Rio Chico, and

560-418: The 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute , Futaleufú spans an area of 1,280 km (494 sq mi) and has 1,826 inhabitants (954 men and 872 women). Of these, 1,153 (63.1%) lived in urban areas and 673 (36.9%) in rural areas . The population grew by 5.2% (91 persons) between the 1992 and 2002 censuses. As a border town, many families are of mixed Chilean and Argentine heritage. Tourism

595-498: The Azul (Blue) River, can be rafted, canoed, or navigated by boat. Lonconao Lake, which is fed by aquifers and not glaciers, is best for swimming and water sports. Yelcho and Espolón Lakes are larger, glacially fed, and offer world-class fly fishing. Both larger lakes feature remote landscapes such as waterfalls, remote bays, and old growth forests which are inaccessible by road, so boating and kayaking are highly recommended. Fly fishing

630-570: The actual eruption in 2008 was characterised by ash emissions and seismic activity; local seismic measurements in 2005 registered earthquakes up to magnitude 3.6 MW below the Chaitén volcano. On May 6, 2008, the force of eruption increased significantly, producing pyroclastic flows and possibly some lava explosions, and raising the eruption column to a height of perhaps 30,000 metres (98,000 ft). The remaining personnel and almost all inhabitants of Chaitén and nearby villages were evacuated, as

665-413: The administrative capital of Palena Province since March 2009. Futaleufú has an oceanic climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfb ) with some drying trend in summer. Winters are cool and wet but mild with a July average of 3.6 °C (38.5 °F). During this time of the year, precipitation is very high, averaging around 253 to 301 millimetres (10 to 12 in) from June to August and humidity

700-405: The closest major Chilean city, Puerto Montt . The town is named after the crystal blue Futaleufú River , widely considered to be one of the best whitewater rafting rivers in the world. The name Futaleufu derives from a Mapudungun word meaning "Big River". The town has a population of about 2,000, growing slightly during the summer rafting and kayaking season. The main income for the community

735-471: The danger area, but this was later legally challenged by some residents and left to no effect by the Supreme Court . Government personnel later returned to attend to livestock and rescue dogs and other animals. Through the remainder of May and June 2008 the eruption continued as a variable but gradually decreasing emission of ash, with intermittent seismic activity and pyroclastic flows. On May 21,

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770-494: The dome side to the crater floor. On February 19, 2009, a partial dome collapse caused pyroclastic flows to descend through the Chaitén river valley reaching down to approximately 5 kilometres (3 mi) from the town of Chaitén. The ash once again reached Futaleufú and parts of Chubut province in neighboring Argentina . The approximately 160 people that were in Chaitén were strongly urged to leave, and all but 25 people who refused to leave were evacuated that day. Forests near

805-557: The driest month. However, precipitation during the summer months are highly variable; in some years, many days can go without a day of precipitation such as the case in 1987 when only 9.9 millimetres (0.39 in) of precipitation was recorded in January while in other years, some monthly precipitation can exceed 300 millimetres (12 in) such as in January 1974. Temperatures can occasionally exceed 20 °C (68 °F) any time between September and May. The average annual precipitation

840-563: The late US philanthropist and environmental activist Douglas Tompkins, it is nowadays called the Pumalin Douglas Tompkins national park after its founder. The park has excellent infrastructure for camping and is divided into two parts by the Huinay Ranch. Yelcho Lake is considered a prime destination for fly fishing. The Futaleufu River is considered by specialized media to be one of the three greatest whitewater runs in

875-602: The magnitude of Chaitén. Articles Scientific Papers on the Chaitén eruption Photography Webcams Futaleuf%C3%BA, Chile Futaleufú is a Chilean town and commune located in Northern Patagonia . Located at the confluence of the Espolon and Futaleufú river valleys, the town is approximately 10 kilometers from the Argentine border. Futaleufú is the provincial capital of Palena Province , Los Lagos Region . Futaleufú, known locally as “Futa,”

910-446: The seventh least populated province in the country. Of these, 7,624 (40.2%) lived in urban areas and 11,347 (59.8%) in rural areas. Between the 1992 and 2002 censuses, the population grew by 1.2% (223 persons). Chait%C3%A9n Volcano Chaitén is a volcanic caldera 3 kilometres (2 mi) in diameter, 17 kilometres (11 mi) west of the elongated ice-capped Michinmahuida volcano and 10 kilometres (6 mi) northeast of

945-474: The surrounding area the same day, the main phase of which was completed by May 3, 2008. One elderly person died while at sea en route to Puerto Montt . By the afternoon of May 3, the plume of ash from the eruption had spread across Chile and Argentina to the Atlantic Ocean , contaminating water supplies, and reportedly coating the town of Futaleufú located 75 kilometres (47 mi) southeast to

980-547: The town of Chaitén , near the Gulf of Corcovado in southern Chile . The most recent eruptive phase of the volcano erupted on 2008. Originally, radiocarbon dating of older tephra from the volcano suggested that its last previous eruption was in 7420 BC ± 75 years. However, recent studies have found that the volcano is more active than thought. According to the Global Volcanism Program , its last eruption

1015-570: The town of Chaitén, depositing ash mud to a depth of up to a metre or more, damaging many buildings, and completely filling the original course of the Chaitén River past the town. Over the subsequent weeks, the river excavated a new course through Chaitén, completely destroying a significant part of it by July 2008. Some defensive work has been undertaken by the government. There were plans to move town some 10 kilometres (6 mi) north but these have not been concluded as yet. The town of Chaiten

1050-415: The volcano have been burned by pyroclastic flows and lateral explosions. Large parts of southern Argentina and Chile have been coated with ash, with possible longer term consequences for agriculture, although not only negative as ash adds new minerals to the soil. Large amounts of ash have fallen in some areas, posing a risk of lahars for several communities. Beginning on May 12, lahars caused flooding in

1085-471: The volcano was used by pre-Columbian cultures as a raw material for artifacts and has been found as far away as 400 kilometres (250 mi) to the south and north, for example in Chan-Chan . The Chaitén volcano entered a new eruptive phase for the first time since around 1640 on the morning of May 3, 2008. The Chilean government began an evacuation of the nearby town of Chaitén (population 4,200) and

Palena Province - Misplaced Pages Continue

1120-623: The world. Due to its location in front of Chiloé Island Palena Province is sometimes called Continental Chiloé ( Chiloé Continental ). Palena Province is named after the Palena Lake , which in turn was named by the Italian Jesuit Nicolás Mascardi after the town of Palena in Abruzzo , Italy . As a province, Palena is a second-level administrative division , governed by a provincial governor appointed by

1155-412: Was Futaleufú. In the early phase of the eruption (May 2, 2008), two separate vents had developed in the old lava dome. An overflight on May 6, 2008, found that these had fused into one vent roughly 800 metres (2,600 ft) across. OVDAS warned of possible major pyroclastic incidents, and the likelihood of prolonged activity. On May 8, 2008, the government said it would force the last residents from

1190-403: Was in 2011. The caldera rim reaches 1,122 metres (3,681 ft) above sea level. Before the current eruption, it was mostly filled by a rhyolite obsidian lava dome that reached a height of 962 metres (3,156 ft), partly devoid of vegetation. Two small lakes occupied the caldera floor on the west and north sides of the lava dome. The translucent grey obsidian which had erupted from

1225-403: Was once Chile's largest private nature reserve, but has since been absorbed by the national park system and renamed to honor its founder, American environmentalist and founder of The North Face , Douglas Tompkins . Queulat is one of Chile's most dramatic national parks famous for its hanging glacier and diverse old growth rain forests. Pumalin, now renamed Douglas Tompkins Pumalín National Park,

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