Four ash explosions recorded at Turrialba volcano on Sunday

Following two weeks of low activity, the Turrialba volcano, located 67 kilometers northeast of San José, on Sunday registered four explosions between 1:40 p.m. and 3:17 p.m., the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (OVSICORI) reported.

The explosions were recorded by OVSICORI at 1:41 p.m., 2:45 p.m., 3:05 p.m. and 3:17 p.m. White fumaroles also were registered by webcams at Turrialba and at Irazú volcano north of Cartago.

The first explosion formed an ash plume that reached some 500 meters (some 1,600 feet) above the volcano’s summit. The other explosions also spewed vapor and ash into the air and formed fumaroles of some 300 meters (984 feet), OVSICORI reported.

“The ash column was headed northwest. Some seismic activity also was recorded following the ash emissions,” the report adds, citing volcanologists Javier Pacheco and María Martínez.

Turrialba volcano has been active since last Oct. 29 when it started spewing ash and vapor that reached five cantons in Cartago and as far away as the provinces of San José, Heredia and Limón.

At the time, ash was visible on rooftops, windows and cars, but it mostly affected dairies and farms north of Cartago.

Last Feb. 11 columns of vapor and gas formed a 1.5-kilometer fumarole (4,900 feet).

Watch a video of the explosions as recorded by OVSICORI’s webcam:

Recommended: TIMELINE: A recent volcanic history of Costa Rica