This morning's news that an estimated 42 million people were displaced by natural disasters in 2010 comes quick on the heels of a volcanic eruption in Chile that has caused 3,500 people to flee their homes.
According to AP, the eruption, which started on Saturday afternoon and continued throughout the day on Sunday, produced an ash cloud six miles high. No related injuries or deaths have been reported.
Ash from the Chilean volcano has blanketed a wide area -- including parts of Argentina -- and caused a Chilean-Argentinian border crossing to be temporarily closed. The Puyehue-Cordon Caulle chain of volcanoes, where the eruption took place, has lain dormant for more than 50 years.
Scroll down for astonishing images and raw footage of the eruption.
A column of smoke and volcanic lightning are seen over the Puyehue volcano [AP/Francisco Negroni, AgenciaUno]:
A column of smoke and ashes emerges from the volcano [AP/Martin Iniguez]:
Volcanic lightning [AP/Francisco Negroni, AgenciaUno]:
People walk past cars covered with ashes from Chile's Puyehue volcano in San Carlos de Bariloche, southern Argentina [AP/Alfredo Leiva]:
A car is completely covered in volcanic ash in San Carlos de Bariloche, southern Argentina [AP/Alfredo Leiva]:
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