| Irazú Volcano | |
|---|---|
 Irazú Crater |
|
| Elevation | 3,432 m (11,260 ft) [1] |
| Location | |
  Irazú Volcano
|
|
| Range | Cordillera Central |
| Coordinates | 9°58′45″N 83°51′09″W / 9.97917°N 83.8525°WCoordinates: 9°58′45″N 83°51′09″W / 9.97917°N 83.8525°W [1] |
| Geology | |
| Type | Stratovolcano |
| Last eruption | 1994[1] |
The Irazú Volcano (Spanish: Volcán Irazú) is an active volcano in Costa Rica, situated in the Cordillera Central close to the city of Cartago. Its name could come from either the combination of "ara" (point) and "tzu" (Thunder)or a corruption of Iztarú, which was the name of an indigenous village on the flanks of the volcano. In Costa Rica it is known by the name of "El Coloso" (The Colossus) due to the catastrophes that it has provoked in the past.
The volcano's summit has several craters, one of which contains Diego de la Haya, a green crater lake of variable depth. It is the highest active volcano in Costa Rica. It is easily visited from San José, with a road leading right up to the summit craters and a weekly bus service to the top. It is thus a popular tourist spot. The volcano summit also spots a few television transmitters for television stations in San José.
From the top it is possible to see both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans on a clear day.[2] However, such clear days are very rare indeed, and it is typical for the volcano's summit to be covered in cloud for much of the time.
Contents |
The Irazú volcano is a complex volcanic shield. It is the highest active volcano in Costa Rica, and has an area of 500 km2 (190 sq mi)It has an irregular subconic shape, and its temperature oscillates between -3 °C and -17 °C. It is a stratovolcano with a summit elevation of 3432 metres. Its five craters are easily differentiated.[1] The most important ones, because of their activity, are The Main Crater, which is almost circular has very inclined walls and it measures 1050 meters in diameter and 300 meters depth; The Diego de la Haya crater is 600 meters diameter and 100 meters deep. Other craters are Playa Hermosa, La Laguna, and El Piroclastico.[citation needed]
Irazú is the southernmost of the ten Quaternary volcanoes which form a nothwest trending line through central and northern Costa Rica.[2] Radioactive dating has shown an age of at least 854,000 years with eruption peaks at 570,000 years and the most recent active phase from 136,000 years to present. The most recent activity includes lava flows along with strombolian and phreatomagmatic explosions.[2] Lava types include basalt and andesite erupted during different events suggesting the volcano is fed by two distinct magma chambers.[2]
Irazú has erupted frequently in historical times — at least 23 times since its first historically recorded [3] eruption in 1723. Its most famous recent eruption began in 1963 and continued until 1965. It began on the day US President John F. Kennedy started a state visit to Costa Rica and showered the capital San José and much of the central highlands of Costa Rica with ash.[citation needed]
Its historical eruptions generally have VEIs of 1 to 3. All historical eruptions have been explosive, and there have been many phreatic eruptions, and some have produced pyroclastic flows. The latest eruption lasted only 1 day, and occurred on December 8, 1994. It occurred at a flank vent and was a phreatic eruption, which produced lahars.[3]
 Sunset from the Summit |
 Top View of Diego de la Haya |
 Sunset at Diego de la Haya Crater |
 Main Crater Lagoon 3 |
 Main Crater Lagoon 2 |
 Main Crater Lagoon 1 |
 Inside Diego de la Haya |
 White-nosed Coati at Irazú |
 Extinct Crater |
 Crater Bridge (Division) |
 Distant Diego de la Haya Crater |
 Diego de la Haya Lagoon |
 Great Crater Wall |
 Distant Wide View of Irazu Volcano |
 Wide View of Irazu Volcano |
|
|||||||||||
| Irazú Volcano National Park | |
IUCN Category II (National Park) | |
| File:DirkvdM irazu Irazú volcano crater | |
| Location | Costa Rica |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Cartago |
| Coordinates | 9°58′44″N 83°51′7″W / 9.97889°N 83.85194°WCoordinates: 9°58′44″N 83°51′7″W / 9.97889°N 83.85194°W |
| Area | 20 km² |
| Established | 9 August 1955 |
| Governing body | National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC) |
Irazu Volcano National Park has one of the most active volcanoes of Costa Rica. It is in the central mountain range at 31 km to northwest of the city of Cartago, 3,435 meters above sea level. It last erupted in 1963 and 1965.
Irazu Volcano National Park offers many types of craters, some having small lakes. The park also includes 2,309 hectares of rain forest. From the highest point in the park, on a clear day, you can see both, the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea at the same time.
The Crater Principal lake has an unusual greenish yellow coloring caused by rainfall dissolving the minerals along the craters walls. It has also been known to change colour to rust-red depending on the minerals present. The inactive, dry Diego de la Haya crater sits just up to the right of the Crater Principal and is filled with volcanic ash.
The park is the site of a reforestation project to restore the area which was destroyed by the eruptions. The forest is made up of conifers and other exotic and native species. There is a native forest consisting mainly of oaks and alder, protecting the watershed of the Reventado River.
The vegetation of the park has been changed by the constant eruptions, but it is very beautiful and diverse.
Irazu Volcano National Park: [1]
|
|
Wikis
Quiz
Map
Search
