Last Thursday, May 25, the Rincón de la Vieja volcano erupted one month after its last eruption.

Indeed, the Rincon de la Vieja volcano, located in the north of the country in the province of Guanacaste, erupted at 2:34 in the afternoon, reaching 3,000 meters above the crater level.

What is the origin of the eruption? The eruption occurred after an interaction between hot magma and water, the water vaporizes and increases a thousand times its volume in seconds, which ends in an explosion.

According to the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (OVSICORI), although it exploded, it is at level 2 of 4 alert and at the time did not affect the population or the surrounding infrastructure.

Rincon de la Vieja Volcano

The volcano is one of the 5 active volcanoes in Costa Rica.

The volcano is one of the 5 active volcanoes in Costa Rica.

In its surroundings you can appreciate all the dry and cloud forest, boiling mud emanations, boiling water and steam rising from the volcanic soil. It is a place that breathes activity with its fumaroles, lagoons and mud pots.

The other active volcanoes are Poás, Arenal, Irazú and Turrialba.

It must be considered that the territory of Costa Rica is purely volcanic, but most of the volcanoes are very old and extinct.

How to deal with a volcanic eruption?

In this situation, we must be clear about what to do in the event of a volcanic eruption alert.

  • If you are inside a house or building, the first thing to do is to protect your eyes. Wash them with water very gently and breathe through a damp towel.
  • If you are outdoors, stay away from areas where volcanic ash may fall. Stay away from cliffs, rivers and deep terrain, as they can accumulate noxious gases.
  • If you are driving, be aware that ash can make the road slippery. Stop, turn off the engine and turn on the lights. Stay inside the vehicle with windows and doors closed. Do not use the windshield wipers and wipe the vehicle windows with a damp handkerchief when conditions improve.

Sensorial Sunsets