PUCÓN, Chile – If volcanoes tend to give you anxiety, you should probably avoid the slopes at Ski Pucón (or Pillan). The six-chairlift Chilean ski area, run by Gran Hotel Pucon Resort and Club, sits on the Villarrica Volcano, one of South America’s most active volcanoes, and that activity is currently pretty visible.
According to the Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Project, an energetic explosion was reported on Villarrica on July 10. A column of ash and gas reached over 600 meters, or just under 2,000 feet, above the crater rim. Overall, the volcano has been exhibiting higher-than-baseline levels of activity, and as such, the hazard zone radius sits at 2,000 meters from the crater center.
Chile’s Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería (National Geology and Mining Service), the Villarrica Volcano is at code yellow, the second of four aviation color codes. The U.S. Geological Survey states that code yellow notes that a volcano is exhibiting higher-than-background-level unrest. A large plume of smoke was thrown up yet again on Sunday, July 21, as plenty of skiers were on the snow at Ski Pucón (there’s no indication that anyone was harmed).
“The Villarrica volcano remains on yellow alert and remains always active. 07/21/24″
