Arenal is situated in Northern Costa Rica above the subduction zone where the Cocos plate is sliding underneath the Caribbean plate. The subducting plate melts sending magma up through the Caribbean plate to erupt on the surface.
This areal image shows Arenal's conical shape and northwest flanks where no plant life exists because of continued eruptive material that rolls down this side.
Sources:
Unknown, "Arenal." Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. 23 Mar 2009 > [TEXT]
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Welcome to an amazing view:
This blog is a collection of research and information on Arenal Volcano and the surrounding area. It is also a personal account of my visit there in June of 2005.
I visited Arenal Volcano in 2005 during a Field Ecology course I took as part of my undergraduate studies at Miami University. I first saw Arenal late in the day. The sunset was casting gold lighting on the side of the volcano. The thin stream of smoke rising from the summit glowed red at the base.
Primary and secondary rainbows were visible in the clouds left of the peak. I couldn't, at the time, imagine a more breathtaking view.
I was pleasantly surprised when we returned to our spectator's perch later that night. The dark allowed the red glow in the smoke stream to show up more clearly. In addition, the volcano was spitting out red-hot boulders (bombs) that were rolling down the side of the mountain. They created red streaks in our time-laps photos.
To the left of the volcano the brilliant full moon was threatening to leave us with over-exposed pictures. If that wasn't enough to take your breath away, a tremendous lighting show was taking place in the distance to the right of Arenal. I was in awe.
I visited Arenal Volcano in 2005 during a Field Ecology course I took as part of my undergraduate studies at Miami University. I first saw Arenal late in the day. The sunset was casting gold lighting on the side of the volcano. The thin stream of smoke rising from the summit glowed red at the base.
Primary and secondary rainbows were visible in the clouds left of the peak. I couldn't, at the time, imagine a more breathtaking view.
I was pleasantly surprised when we returned to our spectator's perch later that night. The dark allowed the red glow in the smoke stream to show up more clearly. In addition, the volcano was spitting out red-hot boulders (bombs) that were rolling down the side of the mountain. They created red streaks in our time-laps photos.
To the left of the volcano the brilliant full moon was threatening to leave us with over-exposed pictures. If that wasn't enough to take your breath away, a tremendous lighting show was taking place in the distance to the right of Arenal. I was in awe.
Arenal's Vital Statistics:
Country: Costa Rica
Volcano Type: Stratovolcano
Volcano Status: Historical
Last Known Eruption: 2009 (continuing)
Summit Elevation: 1670 m (5,479 feet)
Sources:
Unknown, "Arenal." Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. 23 Mar 2009 > [TEXT]
Friday, March 27, 2009
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Erupting Since 1968:
Arenal is an andestic volcano capable of both major and minor eruptions. Arenal ended its 400 years of dormancy with an explosive eruption in 1968 killing 87 people, burrying the villages of Tabacón, Pueblo Nuevo and San Luís, and generating three new crators. The eruption has continued to this day with smoke, ash, falling red-hot rocks, and lava flows.
Today, residents live a safe distance from the volcano and Arenal has become one of Costa Rica's most popular and lucrative tourist attractions. One of the area's destroyed cities near Lake Arenal has become Costa Rica's largest hydroelectric plant.
Source:
Arenal Volcano 1968 Eruption." Arenal.net. 2006. 23 Mar 2009 .
Today, residents live a safe distance from the volcano and Arenal has become one of Costa Rica's most popular and lucrative tourist attractions. One of the area's destroyed cities near Lake Arenal has become Costa Rica's largest hydroelectric plant.
Source:
Arenal Volcano 1968 Eruption." Arenal.net. 2006. 23 Mar 2009 .
Eruptions and Pyroclastic Flows:
Arenal is continually erupting and ejects a variety of materials including lava, blocks, bombs, and pyroclastic flows. Below is an image and diagram illustrating the pyroclastic eruption that occured in September of 2003.
Source: Arenal Volcano 1968 Eruption." Arenal.net. 2006. 23 Mar 2009
Source: Arenal Volcano 1968 Eruption." Arenal.net. 2006. 23 Mar 2009
Want some more volcano info? Check out -- Ms. Whistler's 1st Block Class - Spring 2009
- Yellowstone Caldera - Holden Bell
- Kilauea - Rachael Broadbent
- Mount Etna - Evan Campbell
- Redoubt - Brian Comiskey
- Mount Vesuvious - Nick Falcone
- Mauna Loa - Lizzie Jensen
- Mount Unzen - Shannon Mansfield
- Calbuco - Lauren Myers
- Lassen Peak - Cody Nelson
- Pinatubo - Grace Foresnter & Kaleigh Sima
- Fuego - Katie Szente
- Pelee - Spencer Uram
- Mount St. Helens - Carolyn Valco
- Erebus - Tyler Vincent
- Marianas Islands - Melissa Ware
- Krakatau - Dina Gegprifti & Meredith Wargo
- Fuji - Claire Wilson & Alexa Wiebusch
- Crater Lake - Reid Wilson
Ms. Whistler's 2nd Block Class - Spring 2009
- Lassen Peak - Lea Blake
- Vesuvius - Joe Caniglia
- Mount Hood - Sam Chamberlain
- Marianas Islands - Kathryn Dahlhausen
- Santa Maria - Ryan Gallo
- Krakatau - Leah Haas
- Yellowstone Caldera - Adam Hengst
- Mount St. Helens - Chris Henke
- Pinatubo - Andy Lipperman
- Mount Unzen - Audrey McDonald
- Mount fuji - Alex Messina
- Hunga Tonga - Brandon Michaud
- Nyamuagira - Maureen Piccirilli
- Kilauea - Robbie Rising
- Crater Lake - Mo Samad
- Mount Etna - Marisa Timm
- Mauna Loa - Kathryn Tokar
Ms. Whistler's 4th Block Class - Spring 2009
- Pinatubo - Leilah Absi
- Vesuvius - Fred Blain
- Krakatau - Nick Boss
- Crater Lake - Anna Eglite
- Ruapehu - Hunter Frye
- Mount Fuji - Jake Gilman
- Santa Maria - Amy Greicius
- Nevada del Ruiz - Ellen Gurley
- Rainier - Michael Haskett
- Pelee - Amanda Johnson
- Kilauea - Hayley Kalata
- Irazu - Duncan MacMillan
- Mount Etna - Alex Morley
- Shishaldin - Jenny Osborne
- Calbuco - Scotty Pailes
- Yellowstone Caldera - Rocky Sain
- Mount St. Helens - Matt Stone
- Mauna Loa - Ella Taylor & Rachael Ritzenthaler
- Fuego - Maggie Ward
- Cotopaxi - Brian Woos