What caused Santa Maria eruption?

Santa María is a ~30,000 year old andesitic stratovolcano built on a basement of older rocks formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. The crater was formed by a massive Plinian eruption in 1902. Following the 1902 eruption, the dacitic lava domes of Santiaguito began forming in the crater.

What happened during the Santa Maria eruption?

On October 25, 1902 Santa María erupted violently following a January-October series of earthquakes centered in the Central American-Caribbean region. These severe earthquakes and the extensive volcanic activity in the region were the unmistakeable indicators of the upcoming eruption.

What kind of lava does Santa Maria have?

Santa Maria is a stratovolcano made of basaltic andesite. The 1902 eruption of Santa Maria lasted 19 days and produced 1.3 cubic miles (5.5 cubic km) of dacite pyroclastic debris.

What did the Santa Maria volcano destroy?

Santa Maria was the location of one of the largest eruptions of the 20th century, in 1902. This eruption effectively destroyed what had been a symmetrical cone, leaving a large crater on the south-western side of the volcano, and depositing ash and pumice many hundreds of kilometres away.

How many people died from Santa Maria volcano?

6,000 people
Because of the lack of recorded eruptive activity at Santa María, local people did not recognise the preceding seismicity as warning signs of an eruption. Estimates are that 6,000 people died as a result of the eruption.

What are the risks of living close to the Santa Maria volcano?

The volcano is considered dangerous because of the possibility of a dome collapse such as one that occurred in 1929, which killed about 5000 people. A second hazard results from the flow of volcanic debris into rivers south of Santiaguito, which can lead to catastrophic flooding and mud flows.

Is the Santa Maria active?

Santa Maria is one of the most active volcanoes in Guatemala. Major features are the Santa Maria edifice with the large crater that formed in the 1902 eruption, and the Santiaguito dome complex about 2.5 km down the SW flank that includes the currently active Caliente dome (figure 113).

How did the Santa Maria volcano affect people?

In 1929 part of the dome collapsed, generating pyroclastic flows which killed anywhere from several hundred up to 5,000 people. Occasional rockfalls have generated smaller pyroclastic flows, and vertical eruptions of ash to heights of a few kilometres above the dome are common.

How tall is Santa Maria volcano?

3,772 m
Santa María/Elevation

When was the last eruption of Santa Maria?

22 August 2013
Santa María/Last eruption

What city is Santa Maria volcano?

Santa María Volcano is a large active volcano in the western highlands of Guatemala, in the Quetzaltenango Department near the city of Quetzaltenango. The volcano was known as Gagxanul in the local K’iche’ language, before the 16th century Spanish conquest of the region.

What shape is Santa Maria volcano?

The 3772-m-high stratovolcano has a sharp-topped, conical profile that is cut on the SW flank by a large, 1.5-km-wide crater. The oval-shaped crater extends from just below the summit of Volcán Santa María to the lower flank and was formed during a catastrophic eruption in 1902.

Is the volcano in Santa Maria still active?

Since the early 1920’s, an eruption in the crater formed by the 1902 eruption has slowly built up a series of lava flows and lava domes. This eruption is still going today, and this currently active part of Santa Maria volcano is known as Santiaguito.

How big was the eruption of Santa Maria?

Santa Maria is a stratovolcano made of basaltic andesite. The 1902 eruption of Santa Maria lasted 19 days and produced 1.3 cubic miles (5.5 cubic km) of dacite pyroclastic debris. The largest plinian eruption was on October 25 and produced a column about 16 miles (28 km) high.

What are the layers of the Santa Maria volcano?

Santa Maria Eruption Layers. From the base of the domes, the alternating layers of lava flows and pyroclastic flow deposits are clearly exposed in the walls of the 1902 eruption crater in the cone of Santa María. Such layering is typical of stratovolcanoes, although the layers are rarely so regular and uninterrupted.

How old is the Santa Maria volcano in Guatemala?

There is no historical record of eruption at Santa María. The oldest lava flows that make up the volcano are ~30,000 years old, but there are few dates for younger deposits. Magnetic data suggests that most of the growth occurred during a 1000 to 3000 year period prior to 25,000 years ago, although more accurate dates are not yet available.