Week 4 - Volcanos

I am enjoying all things nature as I embark on my latest endeavor. Today I got to add combine one of my favorite activities to nature, snowboarding! That’s right I am in Chile where I just got done snowboarding Volcán Osorno. I never thought I would say that I snowboarded on a volcano (I’ll be sure to cross that off my bucket list). This volcanic mountain stands over 8,700 feet standing between and bordering the Todos los Santos and Llanguihue Lakes. It was formed by a 250,000-year-old volcano called La Picada.

The volcano is stratovolcano or composite, meaning it’s comprised of lava flow and pyroclastic material. It is a symmetrical structure and “reflects the viscous nature of the material from which they are made (Lutgens, 2018, pg.141). Summit and flank vents have both resulted in eruptions that occurred at this volcano. This beautiful volcano also has potential to be quite hazardous. It produces a pyroclastic flow made up of gases made of ash and large lava fragments. The rocks that form from this lava are basaltic also known as igneous. I can’t believe how much I have learned and been able to do since I’ve been here. I can’t wait to come back to the slopes again one day!

 (Photo taken below magnificent Volcano Osorno at the ski Resort. Marisa Garrido/marisadechile)

References

Volcano Discovery. (2018). Retrieved July 28, 2018 from  https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/osorno.html 

Lutgens, F. K. (2018). Essentials of Geology (13th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Pearson Education.