It’s been a busy month for Rincón de la Vieja Volcano in the northwestern province of Guanacaste. The Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (Ovsicori) reports that since Sept. 9 the volcano has erupted twice and caused substantial fish kills in nearby rivers.
Residents of nearby Buenos Aires de Upala reported a minor eruption of the volcano on Sept. 16 that spit ash and other materials into the air. That eruption also released a mass of hot, gray liquid that poured out of the crater along with smoke and vapors. On Sept. 17, dead fish floated in the waters of the nearby Pénjamo River, which ran milky with volcanic sediment, according to Ovsicori reports.
A second, similar eruption occurred Sept. 22. The daily La Nación reported that this eruption caused the Environment, Energy and Telecommunications Ministry (MINAET) to restrict access to the volcano’s crater.