Turrialba Volcano

Turrialba Volcano
Turrialba volcano while in eruption, October 2014
Highest point
Elevation	3,340 metres (10,958 ft)
Coordinates	10°1′5″N 83°45′50″W / 10.01806°N 83.76389°W / 10.01806; -83.76389
Geography
Map credit Turrialba Volcano Location within Costa Rica
Location	Cartago, Costa Rica
Parent range	Cordillera Central
Geology
Rock age	1.5 million years
Mountain type	Stratovolcano
Volcanic arc	Central America Volcanic Arc
Last eruption	2022
Climbing
Easiest route	hike

Turrialba Volcano is an active volcano in central Costa Rica that has been eruptive in recent years including 2016 and in January, March, and April 2017. Visitors used to be able to hike down into the main crater, but increased volcanic activity in 2014–17, resulting in large clouds of volcanic ash, led to the closure of the surrounding Turrialba Volcano National Park. However, with the eruptions subsiding, the park and access to the volcano reopened on December 4, 2020.

The stratovolcano is 3,340 m (10,958 ft) high and is about 45 minutes from the Atlantic slope town of Turrialba. The summit has three craters, the largest of which has a diameter of 50 m (160 ft). Turrialba is adjacent to Irazú and both are among Costa Rica's largest volcanoes. Turrialba has experienced at least five large explosive eruptions in the last 3500 years. The volcano is monitored by the Deep Earth Carbon Degassing Project.

On clear days both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea can be seen from the summit. Below the summit is a mountain range and montane forest, with ferns, bromeliads, lichens, and mosses. Most of the forest is either primary or secondary forest.

The volcano is named after its canton, Turrialba, in Costa Rica's Cartago Province. There is no clear consensus on the origin of the name Turrialba, but historians disagree with attempts to attribute the name to the patronym Torrealba (from Aragon in Spain) or from the Latin Turris alba (white tower). The general consensus is that Turrialba derives from the local Indian (Huetar language), but there is no agreement on its actual roots.

Activity

• During the 19th century, the volcano erupted and emitted ash several times (1847, 1853, 1855, 1859, 1866), producing pyroclastic flows. The last major eruption was in 1866.
• Small signs of activity started in 1996.
• In January 2001, the volcano reported increased activity, displaying strong fumarole activity at the central craters. The volcanic activities have increased since 2005.
• On March 31, 2007, the volcano started to show some activity with ash eruptions.
• The National Park area opened for visitors was closed from 2009 to 2011.

• On January 8, 2010, a phreatic eruption occurred, creating a new opening near the crater on the southwest, and the temperature increased from 200 to 600 °C (392 to 1,112 °F). Two villages, La Central and El Retiro, were evacuated.
• In January 2012 a new opening on the west of the crater was created after a phreatic eruption.
• On April 12, 2012, a small eruption occurred.
• On May 21, 2013, at 08:52, a gas explosion widened several openings near the main crater that appeared in 2010 and 2012.
• In July 2013 researchers found that tremors around the area increased from about twenty earthquakes a day, to up to thirty per hour.
• On October 17, 2014, the quantity of tremors increased from around 50-100 a day, to 200 a day.
• On October 29, 2014, at around 10:10, a tremor started and kept constant, until a phreatic eruption occurred around 23:10 at the west opening that appeared in January 2012. This eruption sent a large amount of volcanic material to areas up to 40 km (25 mi) away. Many citizens reported ash falling on their properties and a strong odor of sulphur in the cantons of Vázquez de Coronado, Goicoechea, Moravia, Desamparados, Aserrí, Escazú, Santa Ana, Montes de Oca, Tibás, Alajuelita, Puriscal, San José in the province of San José, La Union in the province of Cartago and Santo Domingo and Heredia, in the province of Heredia.

May 2015

• On May 4, 2015, an eruption occurred at 15:24.

See also

• List of volcanoes in Costa Rica

References

• "Turrialba". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution.

External links

Media related to Turrialba volcano at Wikimedia Commons

• Costa Rican Vulcanologic and Seismologic Observatory: Turrialba
• Webcam of the Vulcanological and Seismological Observatory of National University of Costa Rica.