No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsEnvironment and WildlifeExperts confirm increased activity at Turrialba Volcano

Experts confirm increased activity at Turrialba Volcano

Tall, white columns of vapor and gas on Wednesday morning surprised residents near the Turrialba Volcano, east of Cartago, as the western crater registered increased activity that formed a 1.5-kilometer fumarole, the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (OVSICORI) reported.

María Martínez Cruz, a volcanology and geochemistry expert at OVSICORI, explained that emissions don’t yet include ash, a situation that last year affected residents north of Cartago and as far away as the provinces of San José, Heredia and Limón.

“We haven’t received any reports of ashes being emitted, and the gas and vapor plume has maintained its size. At its peak it reached a maximum height of 4 kilometers above sea level, or some 1.5 kilometers above the crater,” Martínez said.

Reports from both OVSICORI and the University of Costa Rica’s National Seismological Network (RSN) state that activity at Turrialba can be considered within normal parameters and is caused by the large amount of rainfall registered in the area in recent days and an increase in the crater’s temperature.

OVSICORI and RSN experts on Thursday will conduct inspections at Turrialba to take measurements and samples from the crater.

In addition to gas and vapor, experts have not registered any irregular increase in the area’s seismicity, Martínez said.

“At this time activity at Turrialba is lower than that currently registered at Irazú Volcano,” she said. Irazú, also in Cartago, is currently experiencing a series of minor tremors that have ocurred since December.

On Oct. 29, 2014, Turrialba, located 67 km northeast of San José, registered its largest explosions and ash emission in the past 150 years.

At the time, 180 hectares north of Cartago were affected on some level, but the Agriculture Ministry’s director of extension services, Felipe Arguedas, said there was no cause for concern about long-term consequences for human health.

Dairy and crop farming are the primary productive activities in the northeastern region of Cartago, and farmers mostly grow vegetables, tubers and flowers. About 80 percent of potatoes consumed in Costa Rica are produced in this region.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=794162990620961&permPage=1

Recommended: TIMELINE: A recent volcanic history of Costa Rica

Trending Now

Costa Rica Opens New Pedestrian Bridge at Guayabo National Monument

Costa Rica has added a new attraction to its archaeological sites with the opening of a pedestrian bridge at Guayabo National Monument. The structure...

Costa Rica Launches Traceability System to Tackle Illegal Logging

Costa Rica is advancing with the creation of a National Forest Traceability System, a key tool to guarantee the legality and sustainability of timber...

Costa Rica Celebrates 201st Annexation Anniversary With New Nicoya Park

Nearly 200 people joined the Municipality of Nicoya this Sunday to inaugurate a new park at the Annexation Monument, an initiative that blends recreation,...

El Salvador at Center of Controversial U.S.-Venezuela Detainee Exchange

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele received the 10 Americans exchanged on Friday between Washington and Caracas for 252 Venezuelans who had spent four months in...

Empty Stadiums and Inequality Mar Women’s Copa América

Nearly empty stadiums, players' criticism of the organization, and demands for equality in South American football have marked the 2025 Women's Copa América in...

Costa Rica’s Poás Volcano Park Reopening to Tourists With Safety Measures

The Poás Volcano National Park will reopen its doors to tourism starting July 30, after  scientific entities reported a decrease in volcanic activity. This was...
L. Arias
L. Arias
Reporter | The Tico Times |
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica