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Costa Rica · Stratovolcano

Poás Volcano

Poas

Type
Stratovolcano
Elevation
2697m
Last eruption
2026
Poás Volcano
Photo: Peter Andersen · CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Stratovolcano
Country
Costa Rica
Region
Middle America & Caribbean / Central America Volcanic Arc
Elevation
2697m
Coordinates
10.200, -84.233
Last eruption
2026
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)
Landform
Composite
Major rock type
Andesite / Basaltic andesite
Geological summary

The broad vegetated edifice of Poás, one of the most active volcanoes of Costa Rica, contains three craters along a N-S line. The frequently visited multi-hued summit crater lakes of the basaltic-to-dacitic volcano are easily accessible by vehicle from the nearby capital city of San José. A N-S-trending fissure cutting the complex stratovolcano extends to the lower N flank, where it has produced the Congo stratovolcano and several lake-filled maars. The southernmost of the two summit crater lakes, Botos, last erupted about 7,500 years ago. The more prominent geothermally heated northern lake, Laguna Caliente, is one of the world's most acidic natural lakes, with a pH of near zero. It has been the site of frequent phreatic and phreatomagmatic eruptions since an eruption was reported in 1828. Eruptions often include geyser-like ejections of crater-lake water.

From Wikipedia

The Poás Volcano, is an active 2,697-metre (8,848 ft) stratovolcano in central Costa Rica located within Poas Volcano National Park. It has erupted 40 times since 1828, with a strong eruption in April 2017—causing the evacuation of visitors and residents. The volcano and surrounding park were closed for nearly 17 months, with a 2.5 kilometer safety perimeter established around the erupting crater. On September 1, 2018, the park was reopened to the public only with limited access to the crater observation area. They have started to require a reservation on the National Park Website before visitation. Adjacent trails to Lake Botos, and the museum at the visitor center remained closed. The volcano erupted briefly twice in September 2019.

Wikipedia · CC BY-SA · Read full article →

Eruption history

65 recordedGlossary
Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions · Use arrow keys to move between bars, Enter to open
7920 BCE~7588 BCE · 2 eruptions · max VEI ?5599 BCE~5268 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?4273 BCE~3942 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?958 BCE~627 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?36~368 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1031~1362 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1694~2025 · 58 eruptions · max VEI 27920 BCE5599 BCE2947 BCE627 BCE1694

Detailed timeline

  1. 2025VEI 2Observed
    2025-01-05 – 2026-03-16
  2. 2023VEI 1Observed
    2023-08-02 – 2023-08-11
  3. 2023VEI 1Observed
    2023-12-01 – 2024-05-05
  4. 2022VEI 1Observed
    2022-04-06 – 2022-04-06
    Crater lake - Fumarola Naranja
  5. 2019VEI 2Observed
    2019-02-07 – 2019-09-30
    Caliente Summit Crater
  6. 2018VEI ?Observed
    2018-05-25 – 2018-05-25
    Summit crater
  7. 2017VEI 1Observed
    2017-04-12 – 2017-11-06
    Laguna Caliente Crater
  8. 2016VEI 1Observed
    2016-06-05 – 2016-08-16
    Lake in summit crater
  9. 2009VEI 1Observed
    2009-01-12 – 2009-03-21
  10. 2009VEI 1Observed
    2009-11-16 – 2014-10-13
  11. 2008VEI 1Observed
    2008-01-13 – 2008-01-13
  12. 2006VEI 1Observed
    2006-03-24 – 2006-03-24
  13. 2006VEI 1Observed
    2006-09-25 – 2006-12-16
  14. 1996VEI 1Observed
    1996-04-08 – 1996-04-08
  15. 1994VEI 2Observed
    1994-03-16 – 1994-10-16
  16. 1992VEI 1Observed
    1992-02-16 – 1992-03-16
  17. 1992VEI 0Observed
    1992-10-16 – 1993-09-16
  18. 1991VEI 1Observed
    1991-03-06 – 1991-09-16
  19. 1987VEI 2Observed
    1987-06-16 – 1990-06-16
  20. 1981VEI 1Observed
    1981-03-16 – 1981-05-16
  21. 1980VEI 1Observed
    1980-09-12 – 1980-09-12
  22. 1980VEI 1Observed
    1980-12-26 – 1980-12-26
  23. 1979VEI 1Observed
    1979-09-08 – 1980-01-16
  24. 1978VEI 1Observed
    1978-09-22 – 1978-12-16
  25. 1977VEI 1Observed
    1977-05-16 – 1977-07-16
  26. 1977VEI 2Observed
    1977-12-18 – 1978-06-15
  27. 1976VEI 2Observed
    1976-06-21 – 1976-11-16
  28. 1974VEI 2Observed
    1974-09-11 – 1975-02-16
  29. 1972VEI 2Observed
    1972-02-09 – 1973-09-08
  30. 1970VEI 1Observed
    1970-07-16 – end unknown
  31. 1969VEI 2Observed
    1969-05-03 – 1969-06-03
  32. 1968VEI 1Observed
    1968-07-02 – end unknown
  33. 1967VEI 1Observed
    1967-01-01 – end unknown
  34. 1964VEI 2Observed
    1964-12-25 – 1965-03-16
  35. 1963VEI 2Observed
    1963-05-23 – 1963-07-02
  36. 1958VEI 2Observed
    1958-07-02 – 1961-07-03
  37. 1952VEI 2Observed
    1952-03-23 – 1957-12-25
  38. 1948VEI 1Observed
    1948-07-02 – 1951-07-02
  39. 1946VEI 1Observed
    1946-11-04 – end unknown
  40. 1941VEI 1Observed
    1941-07-02 – 1946-07-02
  41. 1932VEI 1Observed
    1932-07-02 – 1934-07-02
  42. 1929VEI 1Observed
    1929-07-02 – end unknown
  43. 1925VEI 1Observed
    1925-07-02 – end unknown
  44. 1916VEI 2Observed
    1916-07-02 – end unknown
  45. 1914VEI 2Observed
    1914-05-30 – end unknown
  46. 1914VEI 2Observed
    1914-10-08 – 1915-05-15
  47. 1910VEI 2Observed
    1910-01-25 – 1910-02-16
  48. 1910VEI 1Observed
    1910-09-12 – 1910-10-14
  49. 1898VEI 1Observed
    1898-12-29 – 1907-12-31
  50. 1895VEI 1Observed
    1895-07-02 – end unknown
  51. 1888VEI 1Observed
    1888-01-16 – 1891-07-02
  52. 1880VEI 1Observed
    1880-07-02 – end unknown
  53. 1879VEI 1Method not stated
    1879-07-02 – end unknown
  54. 1860VEI 1Observed
    1860-07-02 – end unknown
  55. 1838VEI 2Method not stated
    1838-07-02 – end unknown
  56. 1834VEI 2Observed
    1834-07-02 – end unknown
  57. 1828VEI 1Observed
    1828-07-02 – end unknown
  58. 1747VEI 2Observed
    1747 – end unknown
  59. 1280VEI ?Geological estimate
    1280 – end unknown
    North flank (Bosque Alegre)
  60. 210VEI ?Geological estimate
    210 – end unknown
    North flank (Bosque Alegre)
  61. 760 BCE (±200 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    760 BCE – end unknown
    North flank (Bosque Alegre)
  62. 3950 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate
    3950 BCE – end unknown
    North flank (Cerro Congo)
  63. 5590 BCE (±100 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    5590 BCE – end unknown
    Botos Cone
  64. 7620 BCE (±100 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    7620 BCE – end unknown
  65. 7920 BCE (±75 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    7920 BCE – end unknown

Nearby volcanoes

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.