Colima (volcano)

For other uses, see Colima (disambiguation).

Colima
Colima volcano from 33,000 feet (Feb. 9, 2008). The summit crater dome and pyroclastic flows that ran down the slopes in past eruptions are visible. Mild earthquakes (Richter scale 5.4) shook the area earlier that week.
Elevation	4,330 m (14,206 ft)
Prominence	2,700 m (8,858 ft) [1]
Listing	Ultra
Location
Coordinates	19°30′45.4″N 103°37′2.8″W / 19.512611°N 103.617444°W / 19.512611; -103.617444Coordinates: 19°30′45.4″N 103°37′2.8″W / 19.512611°N 103.617444°W / 19.512611; -103.617444
Geology
Type	Stratovolcano
Age of rock	5 million years
Volcanic arc/belt	Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt
Last eruption	2011
Climbing
First ascent	September 20, 1995

Colima volcano as seen by the Landsat satellite

The Colima Volcano is currently one of the most active volcanos in Mexico and in North America. It has erupted more than 40 times since 1576.

Despite its name, only a fraction of the volcano's surface area is in the state of Colima; the majority of its surface area lies over the border in the neighboring state of Jalisco, toward the western end of the Eje Volcánico Transversal mountain range. It is about 485 km (301 mi) west of Mexico City and 125 km (78 mi) south of Guadalajara, Jalisco.

There are two peaks in the volcano complex: Nevado de Colima (4330 m), which is older and inactive, lies 5 kilometers north of the younger and very active 3860 metre Volcán de Colima (also called Volcán de Fuego de Colima).

Since 1869-1878, a parasitic set of domes, collectively known as El Volcancito, have formed on the northeast flank of the main cone of the volcano.^[2]

Geological history

The Colima volcano has been active for five million years. In the late Pleistocene era, a huge landslide occurred at the mountain, with approximately 25 km³ of debris travelling some 120 km, reaching the Pacific Ocean. An area of some 2,200 km² was covered in landslide deposits. Massive collapse events seem to recur at the volcano every few thousand years.

The currently active cone is situated within a large caldera that was probably formed by a combination of landslides and large eruptions. About 300,000 people live within 40 km of the volcano, and in light of its history of large eruptions and situation in a densely populated area, it was designated a Decade Volcano, singling it out for study.

Current activity

In recent years there have been frequent temporary evacuations of nearby villagers due to threatening volcanic activity. Eruptions have occurred in 1991, 1998–1999 and from 2001 to the present day, with activity being characterised by extrusion of viscous lava forming a lava dome, and occasional larger explosions, forming pyroclastic flows and dusting the areas surrounding the volcano with ash and tephra.

The largest eruption for several years occurred on May 24, 2005. An ash cloud rose to over 3 km over the volcano, and satellite monitoring indicated that the cloud spread over an area extending 110 nautical miles (200 km) west of the volcano in the hours after the eruption [1]. Pyroclastic flows travelled four-five km from the vent, and lava bombs landed 3–4 km away. Authorities set up an exclusion zone within 6.5 km of the summit.

On June 8, 2005, the volcano erupted again in its largest recorded eruption in several decades. Plumes from this eruption reached heights of 5 km (>3 miles) above the crater rim, prompting the evacuation of at least three neighboring villages.

See also

• 4000 meter peaks of Mexico
• 4000 meter peaks of North America
• List of volcanoes in Mexico
• Mountain peaks of Mexico
• Mountain peaks of North America

References

Notes

1. ^ "Nevado de Colima, Mexico". Peakbagger.com. http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=8009. 
2. ^ Structure of the Volcancito Dome, Volcan Fuego de Colima

Bibliography

• Domínguez T., Ramírez J.J., Breton M. (2003), Present Stage Of Activity At Colima Volcano, Mexico, American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2003, abstract #V42B-0350

External links

• Universidad de Colima, Observatorio Vulcanológico (in Spanish)
• Universidad de Colima, Centro de Intercambio e Investigación en Vulcanología (in English and Spanish)
• Experiments at Colima by the Alaska Volcano Observatory
• "Colima". Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution. http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=1401-04=. Retrieved 2009-01-14. 

Gallery

360° panoramic view from volcano observatory (4000 m) on Nevado de Colima (4330 m), facing active Volcano de Colima (3860 m), 5km away.

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  Volcano as seen from Carrizalillo Lagoon.

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  Nevado de Colima Park

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  from El Nevado

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