Turrialba Volcano awakes after 150 years with a massive explosion with ash cloud in Costa Rica |

About 20 minutes before midnight on October 29th, the Turrialba Volcano in the province of Cartago woke up from its slumber without warning and delivered the strongest eruption in the last 150 years. The quiet agricultural town of Turrialba was shaken by a few seismic movements, which were followed by massive ash clouds that traveled as far as communities in Heredia and Coronado. The National Commission on Emergencies (Spanish initials: CNE) has issued a green alert for the Turrialba and two other volcanoes in Costa Rica.

Geologists from the Observatory on Seismology and Volcanology of Costa Rica (Spanish acronym: OVSICORI) and from the National Seismology Network (Spanish initials: RSN) had reached the crater of the Turrialba before 9:00 am. At the same time, officials from the CNE and seismologists were at the Turrialba National Park, located on the skirts of the volcano, trying to assess the damage caused by volcanic matter. In the town of Turrialba, roofs, vegetable gardens and vehicles were all covered with a film of ash.

Historically, the Turrialba colossus had major eruptions in 1864 and 1866, which greatly affected the bucolic daily life of Costa Rica in those times. Back then, the city of Cartago was the capital of Costa Rica, and it had been greatly affected by volcanic activity from the Turrialba and the Irazu. This 2014 Turrialba eruption was not only phreatic (involving ground water) in nature; it also opened a new small caldera in between the two major craters.

Volcano tourists beware: The RSN, OVSICORI and CNE have evacuated the Turrialba National Park and have ordered Fuerza Publica, the national police force of Costa Rica, to block access to the park and certain small communities that were evacuated. The green alert is a warning of possible injury to life and damage to property, and it will remain in place until geologists make further determinations. At this time, what is being evaluated is the possibility of a major eruption involving basaltic magma (lava). Other volcanoes under green alert in Costa Rica at this time are the Poas and Rincon de la Vieja (Old Lady’s Corner).

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