This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/americas/6225676.stm
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Lake disappears suddenly in Chile | Lake disappears suddenly in Chile |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Scientists in Chile are investigating the sudden disappearance of a glacial lake in the south of the country. | Scientists in Chile are investigating the sudden disappearance of a glacial lake in the south of the country. |
| When park rangers patrolled the area in the Magallanes region in March, the two-hectare (five-acre) lake was its normal size, officials say. | When park rangers patrolled the area in the Magallanes region in March, the two-hectare (five-acre) lake was its normal size, officials say. |
| But last month they found a huge dry crater and several stranded chunks of ice that used to float on the water. | But last month they found a huge dry crater and several stranded chunks of ice that used to float on the water. |
| One theory is that an earthquake opened up a fissure in the ground, allowing the lake's water to drain through. | One theory is that an earthquake opened up a fissure in the ground, allowing the lake's water to drain through. |
| "In March we patrolled the area and everything was normal," Juan Jose Romero from Chile's National Forestry Corporation, Conaf, said. | "In March we patrolled the area and everything was normal," Juan Jose Romero from Chile's National Forestry Corporation, Conaf, said. |
| "We went again in May and to our surprise we found that the lake had completely disappeared. All that was left were chunks of ice and an enormous fissure." | "We went again in May and to our surprise we found that the lake had completely disappeared. All that was left were chunks of ice and an enormous fissure." |
| Geologists and other experts are being sent to the area, which is some 2,000km (1,250 miles) south of the capital, Santiago, to investigate. | Geologists and other experts are being sent to the area, which is some 2,000km (1,250 miles) south of the capital, Santiago, to investigate. |
| The region is shaken by frequent earth tremors and one idea is that a strong quake which hit the neighbouring region of Aysen in April opened up the fissure in the bottom of the lake. | The region is shaken by frequent earth tremors and one idea is that a strong quake which hit the neighbouring region of Aysen in April opened up the fissure in the bottom of the lake. |
| A glacier specialist, Andres Rivera, told Chilean newspaper La Tercera that the lake's disappearance seemed to be part of the continual reforming of the landscape. | A glacier specialist, Andres Rivera, told Chilean newspaper La Tercera that the lake's disappearance seemed to be part of the continual reforming of the landscape. |
| The Magallanes area "has seen interesting changes in the last few decades," he said, noting that the lake itself had not been there 30 years ago. | The Magallanes area "has seen interesting changes in the last few decades," he said, noting that the lake itself had not been there 30 years ago. |