You may get sick of people filming everything they do and everywhere they go, but here's why it's a good thing. You never know when a long dormant volcano will erupt, and it's handy to have it on record.
Videos of last week's Calbuco eruption in Chile have taken the Internet by storm. But what about the first moment when it went off? Given that Calbuco hadn't exploded for 43 years, cameras trained on it at the critical moment were in short supply.
However, one (currently anonymous) person was out hiking in the Llanquihue National Reserve, Las Cascadas (Waterfalls) Sector that lies at Calbuco's base, viewing the features that give the section its name when he turned his camera on the peak in the background.
On the one hand, his reaction is a lot more relaxed than ours would have been. On the other hand, we're a bit bemused by all the YouTube commenters asking why he stopped filming. Maybe because he decided to do the smart thing and put as much distance between himself and the massive erupting volcano as possible?
Spectacular as the eruption was, it lasted just 90 minutes, followed by another seven hours later. Together they put 210 million m3 into the atmosphere. There have been no further explosions for four days, but authorities warn that a further outbreak could occur at any time. Airports across Chile and Argentina have reopened after being shut down by ash, but the 6,000 locals evacuated in the face of mudslides and ashfalls remain unable to return.
Our Spanish translators have informed us that at 0:12 the cameraman says, “Few people come here. I was brave and adventurous.” More than you knew mate, more than than you knew.
H/T Io9
