Abstract
Tephra fall from the August 1991 eruption of Volcán Hudson affected some 100,000 km2 of Patagonia and was almost immediately reworked by strong winds, creating billowing clouds of remobilised ash, or ‘ash storms’. The immediate impacts on agriculture and rural communities were severe, but were then greatly exacerbated by continuing ash storms. This paper describes the findings of a 3-week study tour of the diverse environments of southern Patagonia affected by ash storms, with an emphasis on determining the impacts of repeated ash storms on agriculture and local practices that were developed in an attempt to mitigate these impacts. Ash storms produce similar effects to initial tephra eruptions, prolonged for considerable periods. These have included the burial of farmland under dune deposits, abrasion of vegetation and contamination of feed supplies with fine ash. These impacts can then cause problems for grazing animals such as starvation, severe tooth abrasion, gastrointestinal problems, corneal abrasion and blindness, and exhaustion if sheep fleeces become laden with ash. In addition, ash storms have led to exacerbated soil erosion, human health impacts, increased cleanup requirements, sedimentation in irrigation canals, and disruption of aviation and land transport. Ash deposits were naturally stabilised most rapidly in areas with high rainfall (>1,500 mm/year) through compaction and enhanced vegetation growth. Stabilisation was slowest in windy, semi-arid regions. Destruction of vegetation and suppression of regrowth by heavy tephra fall (>100 mm) hindered the stabilisation of deposits for years, and reduced the surface friction which increased wind erosivity. Stabilisation of tephra deposits was improved by intensive tillage, use of windbreaks and where there was dense and taller vegetative cover. Long-term drought and the impracticality of mixing ash deposits with soil by tillage on large farms was a barrier to stabilising deposits and, in turn, agricultural recovery. The continuing ash storms motivated the partial evacuation of small rural towns such as Chile Chico (Chile) and Los Antiguos (Argentina) in September–December 1991, after the primary tephra fall in August 1991. Greatly increased municipal cleanup efforts had to be sustained beyond the initial tephra fall to cope with the ongoing impacts of ash storms. Throughout the 1990s, ash storms contributed to continued population migration out of the affected area, leaving hundreds of farms abandoned on the Argentine steppe. The major lesson from our study is the importance of stabilisation of ash deposits as soon as possible after the initial eruption, particularly in windy, arid climates. Suggested mitigation measures include deep cultivation of the ash into the soil and erecting windbreaks.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ambrust DV (1984) Wind and sandblast injury to field crops: effects of plant age. Agron J 76:991–993
Bagnold RA (1941) The physics of blown sand and desert dunes. Methuen, London
Banks NG, Ivan M (1991) United Nations mission to Volcán Hudson, Chile, 20 August to 15 September 1991. Report, US Geol Surv, Cascade Volcano Observatory, 161 pp
BGVN (1991a) Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network 16 (07). Available from http://www.volcano.si.edu/gvp, cited 23 October 2008
BGVN (1991b) Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network 16 (08). Available from http://www.volcano.si.edu/gvp, cited 23 October 2008
BGVN (1991c). Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network 16 (09). Available from http://www.volcano.si.edu/gvp, cited 23 October 2008
BGVN (1991d) Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network 16 (11). Available from http://www.volcano.si.edu/gvp, cited 23 October 2008
BGVN (1992) Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network 17 (03). Available from http://www.volcano.si.edu/gvp, cited 23 October 2008
Bitschene PR (1995) Environmental impact and hazard assessment of the August 1991 eruption of Mt. Hudson (Patagonian Andes). In: Bitschene PR, Menida J (eds) The August 1991 eruption of the Hudson Volcano (Patagonian Andes): a thousand days after. Cuvillier, Gottingen, pp 2–15
Bitschene PR, Fernández MI, Arias N, Arizmendi A, Griznik M, Nillni A (1993) Volcanology and environmental impact of the August 1991 eruption of the Hudson volcano (Patagonian Andes, Chile). Zbl Geol Palaont Teil I H 1(2):165–177
Black RA, Mack RN (1984) Aseasonal leaf abscission in Populus induced by volcanic ash. Oecologia 64:295–299
Brown JJ, bin Hussain Y (1981) Physiological effects of volcanic ash upon selected insects in the laboratory. Melanderia 37:30–38
Cofinas M, Creighton C (2001) Australian native vegetation assessment. National Land and Water Resources Audit. Available from http://www.anra.gov.au/topics/vegetation/pubs/nativevegetation/nat_veg_contents.html, cited 11 November 2008
Folsom MM (1986) Tephra on range and forest lands of eastern Washington: local erosion and redeposition. In: Keller SAC (ed) Mount St Helens: five years later. Eastern Washington University Press, Cheney, pp 116–119
Fowler WB, Lopushinsky W (1986) Wind-blown volcanic ash in forest and agricultural locations as related to meteorological conditions. Atmos Environ 20(3):421–425
Fryrear DW (1990) Wind erosion: mechanics, prediction, and control. Adv Soil Sci 13:187–199
Guffanti M, Mayberry GC, Casadevall TJ, Wunderman R (2009) Volcanic hazards to airports. Nat Hazards 52(2):287–302
He H-X, Qian Z-A, Qu Z (1993) Example registers of partly strong sand–dust storms in Northwest China. J Atmos Inf 30(4):14–18
Inbar M, Ostera HA, Parica CA (1995) Environmental assessment of 1991 Hudson volcano eruption ashfall effects on southern Patagonia region, Argentina. Environ Geol 25:119–125
INDEC (2009) National Institute of Statistics and Censuses web site. Available from http://wwwindec.mecon.ar, cited on 20 December 2009
Johansen CA, Eves JD, Mayer DF, Bach JC, Nedrow ME, Kious CW (1981) Effects of ash from Mt. St. Helens on bees. Melanderia 37:20–29
Kratzmann DJ, Carey S, Scasso R, Naranjo J (2009) Compositional variations and magma mixing in the 1991 eruptions of Hudson volcano, Chile. Bull Volcanol 71(4):419–439
Manville V, Wilson CJN (2004) The 26.5 ka Oruanui eruption, New Zealand: a review of the roles of volcanism and climate in the post-eruptive sedimentary response. NZJ Geol Geophys 47:525–547
Marske KA, Ivie MA, Hilton GM (2007) Effects of volcanic ash on the forest canopy insects of Montserrat, West Indies. Environ Entomol 36(4):817–825
Michels K, Sivakumar MVK, Allison BE (1993) Wind erosion in the Southern Sahelian Zone and induced damage to pearl millet production. Agric For Meteorol 67:65–77
Michels K, Armbrust DV, Allison BE, Sivakumar MVK (1995) Wind and wind-blown sand damage to pearl millet. Agron J 87:620–626
Naranjo JA, Stern CR (1998) Holocene explosive activity of Hudson Volcano, southern Andes. Bull Volcanol 59:291–306
Naranjo JA, Moreno H, Banks N (1993) La erupcion del volcan Hudson en 1991 (46°S), region XI, Aisen, Chile. Sernageomin, Santiago, pp 44–50
Nuberg IK (1998) Effect of shelter on temperate crops: a review to define research for Australian conditions. Agroforest Syst 41:3–34
Ort MH, Elson MD, Anderson KC, Duffield WA, Hooten JA, Champion DE, Waring G (2008) Effects of scoria-cone eruptions upon nearby human communities. Geol Soc Am Bull 120(3/4):476–486
Pasquini AI, Depetris PJ, Gaiero DM, Probst J (2005) Material sources, chemical weathering, and physical denudation in the Chubut River basin (Patagonia, Argentina): implications for Andean Rivers. J Geol 113:451–469
Peri PL, Bloomberg M (2002) Windbreaks in southern Patagonia, Argentina: a review of research on growth models, windspeed reduction, and effects on crops. Agroforest Syst 56:129–144
Rees JD (1979) Effects of the eruption of Parícutin Volcano on landforms, vegetation, and human occupancy. In: Sheets PD, Grayson DK (eds) Volcanic activity and human ecology. Academic, New York, pp 249–292
Rozanov BG (1990) Human impacts on evolution of soils under various ecological conditions of the world. Proceedings of the 14th International Congress of Soil Science, 12–18 August, Plenary papers, Kyoto, Japan, pp 53–62
Rubin CH, Noji FK, Seligman PJ, Holtz JL, Grande J, Vittani F (1994) Evaluating a fluorosis hazard after a volcanic eruption. Arch Environ Health 49(5):395–397
Scasso RA, Corbella H, Tiberi P (1994) Sedimentological analysis of the tephra from the 12–15 August 1991 eruption of Hudson volcano. Bull Volcanol 56:121–132
Sivakumar MVK (2005) Impacts of sand storms/dust storms on agriculture. In: Sivakumar MVK, Motha RP, Das HP (eds) Natural disasters and extreme events in agriculture. Springer, Berlin, pp 159–177
White JDL, Houghton BF, Hodgson KA, Wilson CJN (1997) Delayed sedimentary response to the A.D. 1886 eruption of Tarawera, New Zealand. Geology 25(5):459–462
Wilson TM (2009) Vulnerability of pastoral farming systems to volcanic ash fall hazards. PhD thesis, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
Wilson TM, Cole JW, Stewart C, Johnston DM, Cronin SJ (2009). Assessment of long-term impact and recovery of the 1991 Hudson eruption to agriculture and rural communities, Patagonia, South America. GNS Science Report 2009/66
World Bank (1993) Argentina: from insolvency to growth. A World Bank country study. World Bank Publications, Washington, p 332
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge funding assistance from the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Grant POR/SUS 7802/40 (Wilson and Cole), the New Zealand Earthquake Commission, Foundation of Research Science and Technology Grants C05X0804 (Johnston and Cole) and MAUX0401 (Cronin), and the University of Canterbury Mason Trust. David Dewar provided outstanding translation and field support. Sincere thanks to interviewees, in particular Don Julio Cerda Cordero, Veterinarian, SAG; Ulyses Pededa, farmer and artist, Puerto Ibáñez; Ananias Jonnutz – Productov, Orchardist, Los Antiguos; Don Hector Sandin, ranch owner, Los Antiguos/Perito Moreno; Luis Fernando Sandoval Figueroa, Civil Defence Officer, Los Antiguos; Shaquib Hamer, former Agricultural Officer for El Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Argentina (retired), Perito Moreno; Don Hugo Ciselli, mechanic and farmer at Tres Cerros; Antonio Tomasso, cable television installation specialist and farmer, Puerto San Julian; Alberto James Alder, former Mayor, Puerto San Julian.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Additional information
Editorial responsibility: D. Granados
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
ESM 1
(DOC 53 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wilson, T.M., Cole, J.W., Stewart, C. et al. Ash storms: impacts of wind-remobilised volcanic ash on rural communities and agriculture following the 1991 Hudson eruption, southern Patagonia, Chile. Bull Volcanol 73, 223–239 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-010-0396-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-010-0396-1