San Cristóbal
San Cristóbal from the Ingenio San Antonio sugar mill in Chichigalpa, Nicaragua
Highest point
Elevation1,745 m (5,725 ft)[1]
Coordinates12°42′07″N 87°00′14″W / 12.702°N 87.004°W / 12.702; -87.004[1]
Geography
San Cristóbal is located in Nicaragua
San Cristóbal
San Cristóbal
Nicaragua
LocationChinandega Department, Nicaragua
Parent rangeCordillera Los Maribios
Geology
Mountain typeStratovolcano
Last eruptionJuly 2023 [1]
The San Cristóbal volcanic complex

Volcán San Cristóbal is the highest volcano in Nicaragua at 1,745 m (5,725 ft). Near the northwest corner of the country, close to the border with Honduras, it forms a backdrop to the city of Chichigalpa, Chinandega. It is also among the most active volcanoes in Nicaragua.

San Cristóbal is part of a 5-member volcanic complex that bears the same name. Chonco is 4 km to the west, and Moyotepe 4 km to the north east. Joined to the volcano's eastern flank is Volcán Casitas, which buried a village with a catastrophic landslide in 1998. The scars from that landslide are still visible today. Finally, La Pelona is on the east end of the complex.[1]

Physical features

San Cristóbal is the youngest volcano in its complex. It is a nearly symmetrical stratovolcano, rising in a distinctive cone shape. The SW slope is the longest, and the crater rim on that side rises 140 m above the NE end due to prevailing trade winds that distribute tephra to the SW.[1]

The crater is 500 × 600 m in size. While the volcano was at one point covered in tropical forests, the large quantities of gas and smoke that it emits constantly have killed off much of the vegetation.[2]

Eruptive history

  • 1685: Erupted strongly enough to merit preservation in historical accounts.
  • August 1919: Produced loud noises and light tremors that were felt in surrounding areas.
  • May 1971: Produced bangs and explosions.
  • March 1976: Produced a high, continuous column of smoke, several light tremors, and explosions that occurred every three minutes.
  • c. December 1986: Marked expulsion of gases
  • c. January 1987: Expelled large quantities of gas.
  • May 1997: Entered into a new eruptive period, expelling gases, ash, and sand, and also producing light tremors.
  • December 1999: Expelled gas, ash, and sand.
  • May, August 2001: Reactivated.
  • April 2006: Moderate phreatic eruption.
  • July 2008: Rumbled with a series of small explosions, and expelled gas.
  • September 2009: Explosion and moderate ash expulsion.
  • September 2012: Three big explosions, expelled gas, ash and sand to 5,000 metres, following the 2012 Costa Rica earthquake.[3]
  • December 25, 2012 and continuing into 2013: elevated seismic activity and multiple eruptions over the next few days.[4][5]
  • April 11, 2014: Gas plume that may contain ash drifted West about 20 km.
  • July 20, 2014: Two explosions that occurred at 1:30 P.M. and 2:13 P.M. local time produced small plumes of ash that rose 100 meters.
  • March 9, 2021: Moderate ash expulsion, impacting the town of Chinandega.[6]

Current activity

San Cristóbal remains quite active, continuously expelling copious amounts of gas and smoke. As recent as September 2009, it was reported that ash was falling in nearby towns.[7] In September 2012 it erupted again, spewing ash up to four kilometres (2.5 miles) into the atmosphere, resulting in the evacuation of around 3000 people in the surrounding area.[8]

A further eruption took place, starting on December 25, 2012, and continuing into 2013, causing the evacuation of hundreds of locals.[9]

On Wednesday, March 10, 2021, the volcano had an eruption and sent ash about 10,000 feet into the air and blanketed several towns in ash.[10]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "San Cristóbal". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
  2. ↑ INETER San Cristobal description "Volcán San Cristóbal, Descripción". Archived from the original on 2006-06-02. Retrieved 2006-06-21.
  3. ↑ Nicaragua’s San Cristóbal volcano erupts Archived 2012-09-11 at the Wayback Machine The Tico Times, 2012-09-08.
  4. ↑ San Cristobal volcano (Nicaragua) eruption update: near continuous ash eruptions, evacuations Volcano Discovery, 2012-12-27.
  5. ↑ Volcano activity of December 27, 2012 – San Cristobal volcano, Nicaragua erupting (video) Earthquake Report.com,2012-12-27.
  6. ↑ "Nicaragua volcano blankets communities in ash". France 24. 2021-03-09. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
  7. ↑ "Eruption underway at Nicaragua's San Cristobal volcano". BNO News. September 2009. Retrieved 2011-05-03.
  8. ↑ "Thousands evacuate as Nicaragua volcano spews ash". ABC News. 9 September 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-09.
  9. ↑ "Nicaragua San Cristobal volcano: Hundreds told to leave". BBC News. 27 December 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-27.
  10. ↑ "Nicaragua's San Cristobal Volcano Erupts, Showering Ash". U.S. News & World Report. 10 March 2021. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
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