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Report on Turrialba (Costa Rica) — 15 February-21 February 2012


Turrialba

Smithsonian Institution / US Geological Survey
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 15 February-21 February 2012
Managing Editor: Sally Sennert.

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 2012. Report on Turrialba (Costa Rica) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 15 February-21 February 2012. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.

Weekly Report (15 February-21 February 2012)

Turrialba

Costa Rica

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

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


OVSICORI-UNA reported that while conducting field work at Turrialba during 2-3 February, scientists observed incandescence with temperatures between 600-700 degrees Celsius from the three main vents of the W crater. The vents are comprised of the 2010 vent (on the SW rim), the 2011 vent (on the N side at the bottom of the crater), and the 2012 vent (on the SE flank).

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: Observatorio Vulcanologico y Sismologico de Costa Rica-Universidad Nacional (OVSICORI-UNA)