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Country: | Ecuador | |
| Subregion Name: | Ecuador | ||
| Volcano Number: | 1502-003 | ||
| Volcano Type: | Caldera | ||
| Volcano Status: | Radiocarbon | ||
| Last Known Eruption: | 650 AD (?) | ||
| Summit Elevation: | 3246 m | 10,649 feet | |
| Latitude: | 0.308°N | 0°18'30"N | |
| Longitude: | 78.364°W | 78°21'50"W | |
| The scenic lake-filled Cuicocha caldera is located at the southern foot of the sharp-peaked Pleistocene Cotacachi stratovolcano about 100 km north of Quito. Both Cotacachi and Cuicocha were constructed along the Otavalo-Umpalá fracture zone. Eruptive activity at Cuicocha began about 4500 years ago and continued until about 1300 years ago. The 3-km-wide, steep-walled caldera was created during a major explosive eruption about 3100 years ago that produced nearly 5 cu km of pyroclastic-flow and -fall deposits. Cuicocha contains four intra-caldera lava domes that form two steep-sided forested islands in the 148-m-deep lake. A pre-caldera Cuicocha lava dome is situated on the outer east side of the caldera. Pyroclastic-flow deposits cover wide areas around the low-rimmed caldera, primarily to the east. Gas emission continues from several locations in the caldera lake. | |||
