Rice University Ph.D. student Patrick Phelps was part of a research group that was helicoptered to the smoldering caldera atop southern Chile’s Cordón Caulle volcano as part of a field study sponsored by the National Science Foundation and Rice's Expanding Horizons program in March 2022. The volcano’s 2011 eruption is one of the largest of the 21st century, and Phelps and the other researchers gathered data about ash layers and took photos, gas and temperature measurements. Collectively, the data provide a “snapshot” of present state of this very active volcano. Phelps said the measurements could help researchers better understand Cordón Caulle and gauge its potential for future eruptions.
You can read more about his experience on Patricks Blog HERE