<p>Spewed by <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/chile-guide/">Chile</a>'s Puyehue <a href="http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/volcano-profile/">volcano</a>, ash blankets the Nahuel Huapi lakeshore in Bariloche, <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/argentina-guide/">Argentina,</a> near the Chilean border, on June 12. (See <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/06/pictures/110617-volcano-eruption-ash-sunsets-chile-science-puyehue-volcanic/">pictures: "Volcano Supercharges Sunsets Far and Wide."</a>)</p><p>Since <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/06/pictures/110606-chile-volcano-lightning-science-ash-eruption/">the volcano began erupting June 4 (pictures)</a>, ash layers up to a foot (0.3 meter) deep have settled over <a href="http://maps.nationalgeographic.com/maps/map-machine#s=r&amp;c=-41.14327183080818, -71.31233230233191&amp;z=8">Bariloche (see map)</a> and other Patagonian mountain towns preparing for the busy Southern Hemisphere ski season, according to the Associated Press.</p><p>The fine grit has also traveled around the world via atmospheric winds, disrupting flights as far away as <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/australia-guide/">Australia</a> and <a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/new-zealand-guide/">New Zealand</a>. <br>Regional airports in southern Argentina have also been shut down for more than a week due to the ash clouds, which can damage airplane engines, CNN reported.</p><p>(See <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/04/100415-volcanic-ash-cancels-flights-airports-airline-europe-iceland-volcano/">"Volcanic Ash Stops Europe Flights—Why Ash Is Dangerous."</a>)</p><p>However, the Chile-volcano eruptions seem to be simmering down, and on Sunday thousands of people in southern Chile were told they could return home.</p>