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Irazú Volcano

 
Irazú Volcano

 
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Irazú Volcano
 
 
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The Irazú Volcano is an active volcano
Volcano

A volcano is an opening, or rupture, in a planet's surface or Crust , which allows hot, molten rock, ash, and gases to escape from below the surface....
 in Costa Rica
Costa Rica

Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, situated in the Cordillera Central
Cordillera Central, Costa Rica

The Cordillera Central is a range of mountains in central Costa Rica which continues the Continental Divide east of Cordillera de Tilar?n.It has four large volcanoes Po?s Volcano, Barva_Volcano, Iraz? Volcano and Turrialba Volcano....
 close to the city of Cartago
Cartago, Costa Rica

Cartago is a city in Costa Rica, about 25 km east of the capital, San Jos?, Costa Rica. It is at an elevation of about 1435 m above sea level, at the base of the Iraz? Volcano....
. Its name could come from either the combination of "ara
ARA

ARA may refer to:* Academic Research Alliance, an organization created to involve students in scientific activities* Aerial Rocket Artillery, helicopter artillery units used in the Vietnam War...
" (point) and "tzu" (Thunder
Thunder

Thunder is the sound made by lightning. Depending on the nature of the lightning and distance of the listener, it can range from a sharp, loud crack to a long, low rumble ....
)or a corruption of Iztarú, which was the name of an indigenous village on the flanks of the volcano. In Costa Rica it is known by the name of "El Coloso" (The Colossus) due to the catastrophes that it has provoked in the past.






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Encyclopedia


The Irazú Volcano is an active volcano
Volcano

A volcano is an opening, or rupture, in a planet's surface or Crust , which allows hot, molten rock, ash, and gases to escape from below the surface....
 in Costa Rica
Costa Rica

Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, situated in the Cordillera Central
Cordillera Central, Costa Rica

The Cordillera Central is a range of mountains in central Costa Rica which continues the Continental Divide east of Cordillera de Tilar?n.It has four large volcanoes Po?s Volcano, Barva_Volcano, Iraz? Volcano and Turrialba Volcano....
 close to the city of Cartago
Cartago, Costa Rica

Cartago is a city in Costa Rica, about 25 km east of the capital, San Jos?, Costa Rica. It is at an elevation of about 1435 m above sea level, at the base of the Iraz? Volcano....
. Its name could come from either the combination of "ara
ARA

ARA may refer to:* Academic Research Alliance, an organization created to involve students in scientific activities* Aerial Rocket Artillery, helicopter artillery units used in the Vietnam War...
" (point) and "tzu" (Thunder
Thunder

Thunder is the sound made by lightning. Depending on the nature of the lightning and distance of the listener, it can range from a sharp, loud crack to a long, low rumble ....
)or a corruption of Iztarú, which was the name of an indigenous village on the flanks of the volcano. In Costa Rica it is known by the name of "El Coloso" (The Colossus) due to the catastrophes that it has provoked in the past. Irazú has erupted frequently in historical times — at least 23 times since its first well-recorded eruption in 1723. Its most famous recent eruption began in 1963 and continued until 1965. It began on the day US President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States, serving from 1961 until John F....
 started a state visit
State visit

A state visit is a formal visit by one head of state to another country, at the invitation of the other country's head of state. State visits are the highest form of diplomatic contact between two states, and are marked by major ceremonial and diplomatic formality....
 to Costa Rica and showered the capital San José
San José, Costa Rica

San Jos? is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica, and is at the heart of Gran Area Metropolitana or GAM, located in the Costa Rican Central Valley....
 and much of the central highlands of Costa Rica with ash
Volcanic ash

Volcanic ash consists of small tephra, which are bits of pulverized rock and glass created by volcano eruptions, less than in diameter. There are three mechanisms of volcanic ash formation: gas release under decompression causing magmatic eruptions; thermal contraction from chilling on contact with water causing phreatomagmatic eruptions...
.

Since the 1963–65 eruption, the volcano has been dormant, although frequent earthquake
Earthquake

An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes are recorded with a seismometer, also known as a seismograph....
 swarms show that magma
Magma

Magma is molten Rock that is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and may also exist on other terrestrial planets. Besides molten rock, magma may also contain suspended crystals and gas bubbles....
 is still moving about beneath the volcano. In 1994, a small phreatic eruption
Phreatic eruption

A Phreatic eruption, also called an ultravulcanian eruption, occurs when rising magma makes contact with ground water or surface water. The extreme temperature of the magma causes near-instantaneous evaporation to steam resulting in an explosion of steam, water, ash, rock, and volcanic bombs....
 occurred, caused by heavy rains destabilising part of the volcano's flank, resulting in rapid decompression of a shallow hydrothermal system.

The volcano's summit has several craters, one of which contains Diego de la Haya, a green crater lake
Crater Lake

Crater Lake is a caldera lake located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the main feature of Crater Lake National Park and famous for its deep blue color and water clarity....
 of variable depth. It is the highest active volcano in Costa Rica. It is easily visited from San José
San José, Costa Rica

San Jos? is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica, and is at the heart of Gran Area Metropolitana or GAM, located in the Costa Rican Central Valley....
, with a road leading right up to the summit craters and a weekly bus service to the top. It is thus a popular tourist
Tourism

Tourism is travel for recreational or leisure purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from...
 spot. The volcano summit also spots a few television transmitters for television stations in San José.

From the top it is claimed to be possible to see both the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions; with a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres . It covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface....
 and Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan....
s on a clear day; however, such clear days are very rare indeed, and it is typical for the volcano's summit to be covered in cloud for much of the time.

Geology


The Irazu volcano is a compley volcanic shield (500km2). It has an irregular subconic shape, and its temperature ocilates between -3c and -17c. It is a stratovolcano
Stratovolcano

A stratovolcano, sometimes called a composite volcano, is a tall, Volcanic cone volcano with many layers of hardened lava, tephra, and volcanic ash....
 and its height is of 3042 metres. Its five craters are easily differenciated. The most important ones, because of their activity, are The Main Crater, which is almost circular has very inclinated walls and it measures 1050 meters in diameter and 300 meters depth; The Diego de la Haya crater is 600 meters diameter and 100 meters deep. Other craters are Playa Hermosa, La Laguna, and El Piroclastico.

See also

  • List of volcanoes in Costa Rica
    List of volcanoes in Costa Rica

    This is a list of active and extinct volcanoes in Costa Rica.References ...
  • Irazú Volcano National Park
    Irazú Volcano National Park

    'Iraz? Volcano National Park', or in Spanish language the , is a National Park in the Central Volcanic Conservation Area of Costa Rica that encompasses the area around the Iraz? Volcano in Cartago Province which incorporates what used to be the 'Ruben Torres Rojas Forest Reserve' now called the 'Prusia Forest Reserve'....


Pictures

Dirkvdm Irazu 1

Dirkvdm Irazu 2





External links

  • Guias Costa Rica