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Turrialba   »  Summary

Turrialba

Turrialba Photo

Country:Costa Rica
Subregion Name:Costa Rica
Volcano Number:1405-07=
Volcano Type: Stratovolcano
Volcano Status:Historical
Last Known Eruption: 1866 
Summit Elevation: 3340 m 10,958 feet
Latitude: 10.025°N 10°1'30"N
Longitude: 83.767°W 83°46'1"W

Turrialba, the easternmost of Costa Rica's Holocene volcanoes, is a large vegetated basaltic-to-dacitic stratovolcano located across a broad saddle NE of IrazĂș volcano overlooking the city of Cartago. The massive 3340-m-high Turrialba is exceeded in height only by IrazĂș, covers an area of 500 sq km, and is one of Costa Rica's most voluminous volcanoes. Three well-defined craters occur at the upper SW end of a broad 800 x 2200 m wide summit depression that is breached to the NE. Most activity at Turrialba originated from the summit vent complex, but two pyroclastic cones are located on the SW flank. Five major explosive eruptions have occurred at Turrialba during the past 3500 years. Turrialba has been quiescent since a series of explosive eruptions during the 19th century that were sometimes accompanied by pyroclastic flows. Fumarolic activity continues at the central and SW summit craters.

Global Volcanism ProgramDepartment of Mineral SciencesNational Museum of Natural HistorySmithsonian Institution

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