An active volcano, named Tungurahua or Throat of Fire, has been erupting forthe past several days in Ecuador.
(The Tungurahua Volcano spews ash and stones during an eruption as seen fromCotalo, Ecuador, Friday, April 29, 2011. The volcano, 136 kilometers, some 85miles, southeast of Quito, has been active since 1999. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)This volcano has been active since 1999; however, recent eruptions have causedmore widespread problems including the closing of local schools for the pastthree days.
On Friday, the mountain began to launch projectiles the size of automobiles.
These large pyroclastic boulders were flung more than 1 mile from the volcanoat times and caused craters up to 33 feet wide where they landed.
The area around this volcano is sparsely populated; however, more than 300people have been forced to evacuate their homes from this recent eruption.
Story by Eric Leister, Meteorologist
