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 Published Tuesday, May 26, 2020
registered in Guanacaste this year
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Rincón de la Vieja Volcano, located in the Liberia District in Guanacaste Province, continues with active eruptions this year, reported specialists from the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica.
According to the records of the Observatory, the level of volcanic activity this year induced by 20 eruptions have been registered, of which 17 are at level 3 of 5 on the specialists' scale.
Specialists recorded eruptions at 5 levels of intensity. Level three is classified as eruptions with ash emanation, tremor registration and even in some cases deformation of the internal walls of the crater.
The most recent eruption was recorded on Monday, at 3:25 a.m., which lasted one minute. However, the height reached by the gas column is unknown due to the poor visibility conditions of the site. According to the specialists, the hydrothermal explosion was heard by the neighbors north of the volcano.
On Sunday, May 24, an eruption was recorded at 6:08 a.m. with a column of gases that rises 1,000 meters above the height of the crater and 2,916 meters above sea level with a duration of one minute.
On Friday, May 22 at 4:24 p.m. one eruption was registered with a duration of one minute with a column of gases that rises also 1,000 meters above the height of the crater.
That day the volcanologist Geoffroy Avard, Cyrill Muller and Alejandro Rodríguez made an overflight above the crater of the volcano to monitor the level of degassing in the active crater. The video was published on the Facebook page of the Observatory.
On Thursday, May 21, another eruption was recorded at 5:37 a.m. Similar to the previous ones, the eruption created a column of gases that rose 1,000 meters above the crater lasting at least one minute.
Similar eruptions have been reported almost daily by specialists.
One of the most recent strongest eruptions was recorded on April 22. The gas column rose 1,500 meters above the height of the crater and 3,416 meters above sea level.
The seismographs and the infrasound system indicate that small mudflows were registered in the river drains north of the crater.
On April 19, the Municipal Emergency Committees, located along the volcano’s surrounding communities triggered the state of alert due to the strong eruption registered that day.
The eruption began at 10:16 a.m. with spewing gases, mud and ash at a recorded 1,500 meters above the height of the crater and 3,416 meters above sea level, reported the Observatory.
The materials released from the crater of the volcano fell into the rivers located on the upper parts of the volcano. People observed the falling of mudflows, so-called lahars, towards the channels of the north wall of the volcano where the Pénjamo, Quebrada Azufrada and Azul rivers are located, said Blas Sánchez, geologist of the National Emergency Commission.
According to Sánchez, the volcanic materials are normal in the river flow and will not become a danger since those remain within the currents of the rivers and do not spill out.
"It is important that the neighbors report any eventuality and follow all the recommendations given by the Emergency Commission and the rescue authorities ask to not access the river waters and stay away from them," Sánchez said.
According to specialists, they had not received reports of ashfall or sulfur smell in the surrounding communities, even after the strong eruption.
On April 15 at 3:06 a.m. another eruption was recorded. According to specialists, the high concentration of fog did not allow the recording of the height reached by the gas column for the duration of the eruption which was registered by the earthquake signal instruments. But people from nearby communities reported about lahars that fell through the Pénjamo, Quebrada Azufrada and Azul rivers.
Costa Rica has active volcanoes, which is why it is important to be alert, have an emergency plan, know evacuation routes and safe places in case of a volcanic eruption, recommended the specialists of the Emergency Commission.
Since January, more Rincón de La Vieja Volcano eruptions were registered making the National Emergency Commission declare a green alert for the districts of Aguas Claras and Dos Ríos located in Guanacaste.
Authorities call on people in the communities surrounding the volcano to report to 911 for any unusual situation with the volcano. Also, residents were advised to follow the recommendations of the Emergency Commission of the local communities.
Access to the volcano remains closed due to continuous eruptions.
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