Turrialba Volcano Explodes Again

Costa Rica’s Turrialba Volcano Erupts

Volcanologists at the University of Costa Rica have reported a large explosion at Turrialba Volcano, which occurred in the early hours of Thursday local time.

The powerful eruption ejected ash to a height of about 3 kilometers above the volcano’s summit, according to the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (OVSICORI).

“It was a single explosion but a really strong one. This means that there was high pressure inside the volcano,” said a volcanologist at OVSICORI.

The ashfall forced the closure of Tobías Bolaños Airport, in western San José, local media reported.

The 3,340-meter-high volcano is located about 65km northeast of the capital, San Jose.

In October 2014, authorities in Costa Rica evacuated nearby residents after Turrialba’s largest eruption in 148 years. Large areas of San Jose, La Union, Cartago, Santo Domingo and Heredia provinces, located as far as 50km from the crater, reported volcanic ash and strong sulfur odors.

 

Camera located in the crater of the Turrialba volcano, about 600 meters east of the active crater (looking west). The image is refreshed every 10 seconds. Source: Instituto Meteorológico Nacional.

Turrialba Volcano, file image. Source: Instituto Meteorológico Nacional.

Related Links

• Turrialba Volcano Explodes Raining Ash on Costa Rica Capital March 13, 2015
• Turrialba Volcano Explodes  October 31, 2014