In Brief

Peru's Ubinas Volcano Erupts

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Ubinas volcano
Ubinas volcano in Peru on July 1, 2006. (Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory)

One of Peru's most active volcanoes, Ubinas, erupted a massive ash cloud Tuesday (April 15), prompting an evacuation of Querapi near the volcano because of falling ash starting today. The government declared a state of emergency in nearby provinces, which will provide financial assistance for those affected by the eruption, Notimérica reported.

The estimated 14,750-foot-tall (4,500 meters) ash cloud is the latest in an ongoing series of small eruptions at Ubinas, according to INGEMMET, the national geologic, mining and metallurgical institute. The volcano's activity increased this week, with several small to moderate explosions and ash clouds since Sunday, the agency said in a statement.

Ubinas is about 470 miles (756 kilometers) southeast of the capital of Lima. A major eruption in 2006 forced the evacuation of thousands of nearby residents and killed livestock that ate ash-coated grass.

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Becky Oskin
Becky Oskin
Contributing Writer
Becky Oskin covers Earth science, climate change and space, as well as general science topics. Becky was a science reporter at Live Science and The Pasadena Star-News; she has freelanced for New Scientist and the American Institute of Physics. She earned a master's degree in geology from Caltech, a bachelor's degree from Washington State University, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz.