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 | |
|---|---|
 San Cristóbal from the Ingenio San Antonio sugar mill in Chichigalpa, Nicaragua | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,745 m (5,725 ft)[1] |
| Coordinates | 12°42′07″N 87°00′14″W / 12.702°N 87.004°W[1] |
| Geography | |
  San Cristóbal Nicaragua | |
| Location | Chinandega Department, Nicaragua |
| Parent range | Cordillera Los Maribios |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Stratovolcano |
| Last eruption | July 2023 [1] |
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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
editSan 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
edit- 1635: 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 1994: 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
editSan 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]
On July 5, 2023, an eruption sent ash about 2km into the airPyroclastic flows were seen near the summit.[11]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e "San Cristóbal". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
- ^ INETER San Cristobal description "Volcán San Cristóbal, Descripción". Archived from the original on 2006-06-02. Retrieved 2006-06-21.
- ^ Nicaragua’s San Cristóbal volcano erupts Archived 2012-09-11 at the Wayback Machine The Tico Times, 2012-09-08.
- ^ San Cristobal volcano (Nicaragua) eruption update: near continuous ash eruptions, evacuations Volcano Discovery, 2012-12-27.
- ^ Volcano activity of December 27, 2012 – San Cristobal volcano, Nicaragua erupting (video) Earthquake Report.com,2012-12-27.
- ^ "Nicaragua volcano blankets communities in ash". France 24. 2021-03-09. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
- ^ "Eruption underway at Nicaragua's San Cristobal volcano". BNO News. September 2009. Retrieved 2011-05-03.
- ^ "Thousands evacuate as Nicaragua volcano spews ash". ABC News. 9 September 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-09.
- ^ "Nicaragua San Cristobal volcano: Hundreds told to leave". BBC News. 27 December 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-27.
- ^ "Nicaragua's San Cristobal Volcano Erupts, Showering Ash". U.S. News & World Report. 10 March 2021. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
- ^ "Smithstonian Institute - Volcan San Cristobal". National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2024-03-11.