Pacaya

Coordinates: 14°22′51″N 90°36′04″W / 14.38083°N 90.60111°W / 14.38083; -90.60111
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the pacaya palm, see Chamaedorea tepejilote.
Pacaya
An eruption of Pacaya in 1976
Highest point
Elevation2,552 m (8,373 ft)[1]
Prominence1,077 m (3,533 ft)
ListingList of volcanoes in Guatemala
Coordinates14°22′51″N 90°36′04″W / 14.38083°N 90.60111°W / 14.38083; -90.60111[1]
Geography
Geology
Age of rock0-23,000
Mountain typeComplex volcano
Volcanic arc/beltCentral America Volcanic Arc
Last eruptionFebruary 14, 2021 - ongoing

Pacaya is an active

dormant for over 70 years, it began erupting vigorously in 1961 and has been erupting frequently since then. Much of its activity is Strombolian, but occasionally Plinian eruptions also occur, sometimes showering the area of the nearby Departments with ash.[1]

Pacaya is a popular tourist attraction. It is even the home to the popular Guatemala Impact Marathon which pioneered the use of a running route across the lava field created by the 2010 eruption and supports the local communities through runners endeavouring to complete the challenge.

Volcano Boarding is also practiced on the craters of Pacaya.[5]

Villagers near Pacaya ignored an evacuation request as the volcano threw ash into the air in March 2021.[6]

Geological history

The Pacaya volcano is a part of the

Lago de Amatitlán. This caldera has been the source of at least nine very large explosions over the past 300,000 years, erupting a total of about 70 cubic kilometres (17 cu mi) of magma.[1][7]

After the last caldera-forming eruption 23,000 years ago, several smaller vents within and around the caldera have seen eruptive activity. Pacaya is the largest post-caldera volcano, and has been one of Central America's most active volcanoes over the last 500 years. It has erupted at least 23 times since the

Spanish conquest,[1][8] producing basalt and basaltic andesite.[9]

About 1,100  years ago the volcano's edifice collapsed, causing a huge landslide. Deposits from the landslide travelled about 25 kilometres (16 mi) from the volcano down to the Pacific coastal plain. The landslide left a large crater, within which the current active cone has grown. The presence of a magma chamber at shallow depths beneath Pacaya means that distortion of the cone leading to instability and future landslides remains a hazard to the surrounding areas.[1]

Recent eruptions

Pacaya Volcano

With its almost continuous activity, the volcano has been a popular location for

National Park, which was created to supervise and protect tourism in this region. The Pacaya Park generates its income from tour groups who are charged a small fee of 100 Quetzales to enter the park.[citation needed
]

In 1998, several explosive eruptions emitted lava, debris and ash columns with a height of 1,500 m (4,900 ft) to 5,000 m (16,000 ft). The ash fall affected nearby cities including Guatemala city and La Aurora International Airport.[8]

During 2006, a slight increase in Pacaya's volcanic activity brought about the creation of several lava rivers that slowly flowed down its slope. Word about these phenomena spread, and local tourism increased significantly.[citation needed]

May 2010 eruption

See also:
Tropical Storm Agatha (2010)

On May 27, 2010, the Pacaya volcano erupted, followed by several tremors. At approximately 20:00 hours there was a strong eruption ejecting debris and ash columns up to 1,500 metres (4,900 ft). Ash rained down in many Guatemalan cities to the northwest of the volcano, including Guatemala City.[10] The volcanic ash fall pelted Guatemala City, and the international airport, La Aurora. The National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED) declared a red alert for the communities near the volcano and recommended the evacuation of some of them. Noti7 reporter Anibal Archila, one of the first to cover the event, was reportedly killed by volcanic debris.[11]

President

Tropical Storm Agatha worsened the emergency situation, causing lahars, landslides and widespread flooding across the country. However, people working in coffee fields considered the rain brought by the storm to be helpful, removing ash from their trees.[12]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Pacaya.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Pacaya". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
  2. ^ "Guatemala Impact Marathon". Impact Marathon.
  3. ^ a b Google Earth
  4. ^ Servicio de Informacion Municipal, Departmento de Escuintla (in Spanish), retrieved 2010-01-14
  5. ^ "Volcano Boarding in Guatemala". Sand-boarding.com. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  6. ^ "Evacuation request ignored at Guatemala's Pacaya volcano". ABC News. March 4, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  7. Bibcode:2001AGUFM.V41A0976R
  8. ^
    INSIVUMEH. "Volcán de Pacaya"
    . INSIVUMEH.
  9. ^ Guatemala Volcanoes
  10. ^ "Pacaya Volcano (Guatemala)". Volcano Discovery. May 28, 2010. Retrieved May 30, 2010.
  11. ^ "Hundreds flee Guatemala volcano". BBC News. May 28, 2010. Retrieved May 31, 2010.
  12. ^ Campbell, Robert (May 29, 2010). "Guatemala girds for first Pacific storm of season". Reuters. Archived from the original on June 1, 2010. Retrieved May 29, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)

External links

Image gallery

  • Pacaya
  • Runners at the Impact Marathon race on Pacaya
    Runners at the Impact Marathon race on Pacaya
  • Volcán Pacaya (2005).
    Volcán Pacaya (2005).
  • Tourists climbing Pacaya (2004).
    Tourists climbing Pacaya (2004).
  • Noxious gas cloud (2002).
    Noxious gas cloud (2002).
  • Pacaya after a strombolian eruption (1992).
    Pacaya after a strombolian eruption (1992).
  • Strombolian eruption of Pacaya (1992).
    Strombolian eruption of Pacaya (1992).
  • Strombolian eruption of Pacaya (1992).
    Strombolian eruption of Pacaya (1992).
  • Lava flow (2006).
    Lava flow (2006).
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