Turrialba Volcano in Costa Rica: 14 Eruptions in 2 Weeks
- By Jaime Lopez – March 30, 2015
The magnificent Turrialba in April 2012. Source: RSN
A nighttime period of gaseous exhalation followed two minor ash eruptions from the Turrialba volcano, which is currently the most active colossus of Costa Rica. The first of the two eruptions, which took place over the weekend, was registered at 2:45 pm on a Saturday afternoon. That volcanic event mostly consisted of fine ash being expelled, and it was followed by a 3:04 pm eruption of similar intensity.
The eruptions were recorded by the network of crater cameras installed by the Observatory of Volcanology and Seismology of Costa Rica (Spanish acronym: OVSICORI) of the National University. The photos and video from the eruptions indicate that most of the ash was deposited in the vicinity of the crater; unlike a couple of weeks ago, the windy conditions were not strong enough to float the ash away from volcano and onto residential communities of the Central Valley.
Journalist Hugo Solano of national newspaper La Nacion quoted volcanologist Maria Martinez from the OVSICORI as follows:
This recent eruptions have caused erosion on the western caldera of the crater, which explains the ashes. We expect smoke plumes to developed into ash clouds.
The combination of volcanic ash and gases is what gives these clouds their gray coloration. Over the last two weeks, a total of 14 eruptions have been registered by geologists monitoring the Turrialba volcano in Costa Rica. It is important to note that volcano tourists are not allowed at this national park; officers from Fuerza Publica and park rangers have turned away tourists in recent days.
Since some levels of seismicity were detected by OVSICORI instruments, geologists are not discarding the possibility of further activity at the Turrialba, which is not the only active volcano in Costa Rica. Tourists can still visit the Arenal volcano near La Fortuna as well as the Poas in the province of Alajuela.
The Irazu volcano in the province of Cartago, which is considered to be a twin colossus of the Turrialba, has been subject to recent landslides, which could prompt park closures. To ensure that a volcano in Costa Rica is open and safe to visit, please refer to this previous article.
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