Chile volcano eruption captured in time-lapse video

Southern Chile's Calbuco volcano had been quiet for more than 42 years, until yesterday, when it erupted, forcing a town of about 1,500 people and two other nearby communities to evacuate. Photos of the event quickly emerged, and now a harrowing time-lapse video showing the eruption has surfaced.

Despite the massive amounts of ash dumped in the area, there was no hot lava or rocks, and no reported injuries. (The volcano isn't in a densely populated area.) Still, authorities in the country barred access to areas near the volcano, shut down schools, and canceled flights.

Of Chile's 90 volcanoes, the 6,500-foot Calbuco is one of the most active, although researchers were apparently caught off guard by the eruption — the volcano wasn't under any special observation, according to The New York Times. But someone was close enough to capture the nearly atomic video you see here.