Ecuador Volcano Erupts with Vehicle-Sized Projectiles
By Eric Leister, Meteorologist
May 1, 2011; 6:00 AM ET
The Tungurahua Volcano spews ash and stones during an eruption as seen from Cotalo, Ecuador, Friday, April 29, 2011. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)
An active volcano, named Tungurahua or Throat of Fire, has been erupting for the past several days in Ecuador.
This volcano has been active since 1999; however, recent eruptions have caused more widespread problems.
Such problems include closing local schools for the past three days, according to The Associated Press.
On Friday, the mountain began to launch projectiles the size of automobiles. These large Pyroclastic boulders were flung more than one mile from the volcano at times and caused craters up to 33 feet wide where they landed.
The area around this volcano, which is located roughly 84 miles southeast of Quito, Ecuador, is sparsely populated.
Regardless, more than 300 people have been forced to evacuate their homes from this recent eruption.
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