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Report on Turrialba (Costa Rica) — 13 January-19 January 2010


Turrialba

Smithsonian Institution / US Geological Survey
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 13 January-19 January 2010
Managing Editor: Sally Sennert.

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 2010. Report on Turrialba (Costa Rica) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 13 January-19 January 2010. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.

Weekly Report (13 January-19 January 2010)

Turrialba

Costa Rica

10.025°N, 83.767°W; summit elev. 3340 m

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


Based on multiple METAR weather notices during the previous few days, the Washington VAAC reported on 16 January that gas plumes containing some ash rose from Turrialba. Ash was not seen in satellite imagery that day or the next.

Geological Summary. Turrialba, the easternmost of Costa Rica's Holocene volcanoes, is a large vegetated basaltic-to-dacitic stratovolcano located across a broad saddle NE of IrazĂș volcano overlooking the city of Cartago. The massive edifice covers an area of 500 km2. Three well-defined craters occur at the upper SW end of a broad 800 x 2200 m summit depression that is breached to the NE. Most activity originated from the summit vent complex, but two pyroclastic cones are located on the SW flank. Five major explosive eruptions have occurred during the past 3500 years. A series of explosive eruptions during the 19th century were sometimes accompanied by pyroclastic flows. Fumarolic activity continues at the central and SW summit craters.

Source: Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC)