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Ecuador · Stratovolcano

Cotopaxi volcano

Cotopaxi

Type
Stratovolcano
Elevation
5911m
Last eruption
2023
Cotopaxi volcano
Photo: camilogaleano.com · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Stratovolcano
Country
Ecuador
Region
South America / Northern Andean Volcanic Arc
Elevation
5911m
Coordinates
-0.677, -78.436
Last eruption
2023
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)
Landform
Composite
Major rock type
Andesite / Basaltic andesite
Geological summary

The symmetrical, glacier-covered, Cotopaxi stratovolcano is Ecuador's most well-known volcano and one of its most active. The steep-sided cone is capped by nested summit craters, the largest of which is about 550 x 800 m in diameter. Deep valleys scoured by lahars radiate from the summit of the andesitic volcano, and large andesitic lava flows extend to its base. The modern edifice has been constructed since a major collapse sometime prior to about 5,000 years ago. Pyroclastic flows (often confused in historical accounts with lava flows) have accompanied many explosive eruptions, and lahars have frequently devastated adjacent valleys. Strong eruptions took place in 1744, 1768, and 1877. Pyroclastic flows descended all sides of the volcano in 1877, and lahars traveled more than 100 km into the Pacific Ocean and western Amazon basin. Smaller eruptions have been frequent since that time.

From Wikipedia

Cotopaxi is an active stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located in Cotopaxi National Park in Cotopaxi Province, about 50 km (31.1 mi) south of Quito, and 31 km (19 mi) northeast of the city of Latacunga, Ecuador. It is the second highest summit in Ecuador, reaching a height of 5,897 m (19,347 ft). Cotopaxi is among the highest active volcanoes in the world.

Wikipedia · CC BY-SA · Read full article →

Eruption history

86 recordedGlossary
Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions · Use arrow keys to move between bars, Enter to open
7690 BCE~7366 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 26071 BCE~5748 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 54453 BCE~4129 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 54129 BCE~3805 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 53481 BCE~3158 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 52834 BCE~2510 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 52510 BCE~2187 BCE · 2 eruptions · max VEI ?2187 BCE~1863 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 51539 BCE~1215 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1215 BCE~892 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 4568 BCE~244 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 4244 BCE~80 · 3 eruptions · max VEI 480~403 · 3 eruptions · max VEI 4403~727 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?727~1051 · 3 eruptions · max VEI 41051~1375 · 3 eruptions · max VEI 51375~1698 · 4 eruptions · max VEI 41698~2022 · 57 eruptions · max VEI 47690 BCE5424 BCE2834 BCE568 BCE1698

Detailed timeline

  1. 2022VEI 2Observed
    2022-10-21 – 2023-07-06
    Summit crater
  2. 2015VEI 2Observed
    2015-08-14 – 2016-01-24
    Summit crater
  3. 1942VEI 3Method not stated
    1942-02-17 – 1942-02-19
  4. 1940VEI 2Observed
    1940-07-02 – end unknown
  5. 1939VEI 2Observed
    1939-02-02 – end unknown
  6. 1931VEI 2Observed
    1931-07-02 – end unknown
  7. 1926VEI 2Observed
    1926-07-02 – end unknown
  8. 1922VEI 2Observed
    1922-07-02 – end unknown
  9. 1908VEI 1Observed
    1908-07-02 – 1914-07-02
  10. 1907VEI 2Observed
    1907-06-16 – end unknown
  11. 1906VEI 2Observed
    1906-08-21 – 1906-09-19
  12. 1905VEI 2Observed
    1905-07-02 – end unknown
  13. 1903VEI 3Observed
    1903-09-26 – 1904-12-16
  14. 1895VEI 2Observed
    1895-07-02 – end unknown
  15. 1886VEI 2Observed
    1886-01-16 – end unknown
  16. 1885VEI 2Observed
    1885-07-23 – end unknown
  17. 1883VEI 2Observed
    1883-08-16 – end unknown
  18. 1883VEI 2Observed
    1883-12-16 – end unknown
  19. 1882VEI 2Observed
    1882-01-16 – 1882-03-16
  20. 1880VEI 3Observed
    1880-02-16 – 1880-07-16
  21. 1879VEI 2Observed
    1879-02-26 – 1879-06-19
  22. 1878VEI 2Observed
    1878-08-23 – 1878-08-24
  23. 1877VEI 4Observed
    1877-01-16 – 1877-09-02
  24. 1870VEI 2Observed
    1870-07-02 – 1876-07-02
  25. 1869VEI 3Observed
    1869-07-16 – 1869-08-16
  26. 1868VEI 2Observed
    1868-08-15 – 1868-08-16
  27. 1867VEI 2Observed
    1867-07-02 – end unknown
  28. 1866VEI 2Observed
    1866-09-21 – 1866-09-26
  29. 1863VEI 2Observed
    1863-07-02 – end unknown
  30. 1860VEI 2Observed
    1860-07-02 – 1862-07-02
  31. 1859VEI 2Observed
    1859-07-02 – end unknown
  32. 1858VEI 2Observed
    1858-11-16 – 1858-12-16
  33. 1857VEI 2Observed
    1857-07-02 – end unknown
  34. 1856VEI 2Observed
    1856-05-16 – end unknown
  35. 1856VEI 2Observed
    1856-10-16 – 1856-12-16
  36. 1855VEI 2Observed
    1855-11-16 – end unknown
  37. 1854VEI 2Observed
    1854-04-03 – end unknown
  38. 1854VEI 2Observed
    1854-09-14 – end unknown
  39. 1853VEI 3Observed
    1853-09-13 – 1853-09-15
  40. 1852VEI 2Observed
    1852-07-02 – end unknown
  41. 1851VEI 2Observed
    1851-06-16 – end unknown
  42. 1850VEI 2Observed
    1850-07-02 – end unknown
  43. 1845VEI 2Observed
    1845-04-16 – end unknown
  44. 1844VEI 2Observed
    1844-07-02 – end unknown
  45. 1803VEI 3Observed
    1803-01-04 – 1803-01-05
  46. 1768VEI 4Observed
    1768-04-04 – end unknown
  47. 1766VEI 3Observed
    1766-02-10 – 1766-12
  48. 1750VEI 2Observed
    1750-09-02 – 1750-09-04
  49. 1747VEI 2Observed
    1747 – 1749
  50. 1746VEI 2Observed
    1746-02 – end unknown
  51. 1744VEI 4Observed
    1744-05 – 1744-12
  52. 1743VEI 3Observed
    1743-04 – end unknown
  53. 1743VEI 2Observed
    1743-09-27 – 1743-10-04
  54. 1742VEI 3Observed
    1742-06-15 – 1742-07
  55. 1742VEI 3Observed
    1742-12-09 – end unknown
  56. 1740VEI 2Observed
    1740 – 1741
  57. 1738VEI 2Observed
    1738 – end unknown
  58. 1698VEI 3Observed
    1698 – end unknown
  59. 1534VEI 4Observed
    1534-06 – 1534-07
  60. 1533VEI 2Observed
    1533-10 – 1533-11
  61. 1532VEI 4Observed
    1532-11-15 – end unknown
  62. 1350VEI 4Geological estimate
    1350 – end unknown
  63. 1260 (±150 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    1260 – end unknown
  64. 1130 (±75 yrs)VEI 5Geological estimate
    1130 – end unknown
  65. 950VEI 3Geological estimate
    950 – end unknown
  66. 770 (±75 yrs)VEI 4Geological estimate
    770 – end unknown
  67. 740 (±75 yrs)VEI 4Geological estimate
    740 – end unknown
  68. 550 (±200 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    550 – end unknown
  69. 370 (±200 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    370 – end unknown
  70. 180 (±100 yrs)VEI 4Geological estimate
    180 – end unknown
  71. 150VEI 4Geological estimate
    150 – end unknown
  72. 70 (±150 yrs)VEI 4Geological estimate
    70 – end unknown
  73. 50 BCEVEI 3Geological estimate
    50 BCE – end unknown
  74. 230 BCE (±200 yrs)VEI 4Geological estimate
    230 BCE – end unknown
  75. 400 BCEVEI 4Geological estimate
    400 BCE – end unknown
  76. 1050 BCEVEI 4Geological estimate
    1050 BCE – end unknown
  77. 1510 BCE (±150 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    1510 BCE – end unknown
  78. 2050 BCEVEI 5Geological estimate
    2050 BCE – end unknown
  79. 2220 BCE (±100 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    2220 BCE – end unknown
  80. 2250 BCEVEI ?Geological estimate
    2250 BCE – end unknown
  81. 2640 BCE (±200 yrs)VEI 5Geological estimate
    2640 BCE – end unknown
  82. 3280 BCE (±500 yrs)VEI 5Geological estimate
    3280 BCE – end unknown
  83. 3880 BCE (±75 yrs)VEI 5Geological estimate
    3880 BCE – end unknown
  84. 4350 BCE (±75 yrs)VEI 5Geological estimate
    4350 BCE – end unknown
  85. 5820 BCE (±75 yrs)VEI 5Geological estimate
    5820 BCE – end unknown
  86. 7690 BCE (±75 yrs)VEI 2Geological estimate
    7690 BCE – end unknown

Nearby volcanoes

External links

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