| Masaya Volcano | |
|---|---|
 View of the crater | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 635 m (2,083 ft)[1] |
| Coordinates | 11°58′58″N86°9′43″W / 11.98278°N 86.16194°W /11.98278; -86.16194 |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Location | Masaya,Nicaragua |
| Parent range | Central American Volcanic Belt |
| Geology | |
| Rock age | ~9,000 years |
| Mountain type | Caldera |
| Volcanic arc | Central America Volcanic Arc |
| Last eruption | 2015–present |
Masaya (Spanish:Volcán Masaya), also known historically by its aboriginal namePopogatepe inNawat, is acaldera located inMasaya,Nicaragua, 20 km (12 mi) south of the capitalManagua. It is Nicaragua's first and largest national park, and one of 78protected areas of Nicaragua. Thecomplex volcano is composed of a nested set ofcalderas andcraters, the largest of which is Las Sierrasshield volcano andcaldera. Within this caldera lies a sub-vent, which is Masaya Volcanosensu stricto. The vent is ashield type composed of basalticlavas andtephras and includes asummit crater. This hosts Masaya caldera, formed 2,500 years ago by an 8 km3 (1.9 cu mi) basalticignimbrite eruption. Inside this caldera a new basaltic complex has grown from eruptions mainly on a semi-circular set of vents that include the Masaya and Nindiri cones. The latter host thepit craters of Masaya, Santiago, Nindiri and San Pedro. Observations in the walls of the pit craters indicate that there have been several episodes of cone and pit crater formation.
Masaya continually emits large amounts ofsulfur dioxide gas (from the active Santiago crater) and volcanologists study this (amongst other signs) to better understand the behavior of the volcano and also evaluate the impact ofacid rain and the potential for health problems.
The floor of Masaya caldera is mainly covered by poorly vegetatedʻaʻā lava, indicating resurfacing within the past 1,000 or so years, but only two lava flows have erupted since the sixteenth century. The first, in 1670, was an overflow from the Nindiri crater, which at that time hosted a 1-km-wide lava lake. The other, in 1772, issued from a fissure on the flank of the Masaya cone. Since 1772, lava has appeared at the surface only in the Santiago pit crater (presently active and persistently degassing) and possibly within Nindiri crater in 1852. A lake occupies the far eastern end of the caldera.
Although the recent activity of Masaya has largely been dominated by continuous degassing from an occasionally lava-filled pit crater, a number of discrete explosive events have occurred in the last 50 years.[1] One such event occurred on November 22, 1999, which was recognised from satellite data. A hot spot appeared on satellite imagery, and there was a possible explosion. On April 23, 2001, the crater exploded and formed a new vent in the bottom of the crater. The explosion sent rocks with diameters up to 60 cm (24 in) which travelled up to 500 m (1,600 ft) from the crater. Vehicles in the visitors area were damaged and one person was injured. On October 4, 2003, an eruption cloud was reported at Masaya. The plume rose to a height of about 4.6 km (2.9 mi). In 2008, the mountain erupted spewing ash and steam. This volcano is monitored by theDeep Earth Carbon Degassing Project. Volcanic gas emissions from this volcano are measured by aMulti-Component Gas Analyzer System, which detects pre-eruptive degassing of rising magmas, improvingprediction of volcanic activity.[2]
On March 4, 2020, tightrope daredevilNik Wallenda walked on a steel cable over the caldera.[3]
In 1979, Masaya became Nicaragua's first national park, namedMasaya Volcano National Park (Parque Nacional Volcán Masaya). The park has an area of 54 km2 (21 sq mi) and includes two volcanoes and five craters,[4] as well as a range of elevations between 100 and 630 meters abovesea level. In the park is alava tube formed by lava flows; one can findbats and look inside and observe the glowing lava in the dark crater mouth of the volcano.[4]
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(November 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Masaya is one of 18 distinct volcanic centers that make up the Nicaraguan portion of theCentral American Volcanic Belt (CAVF). Formed by thesubduction of theCocos Plate beneath theCaribbean Plate, along theMesoamerican trench, the CAVF runs fromvolcán Tacaná inGuatemala toIrazú inCosta Rica. In western Nicaragua, the CAVF bisects the Nicaraguan Depression fromCosigüina volcano in the northwest toMaderas volcano in Lago Nicaragua. The Interior highlands to the northeast make up the majority of Nicaragua. Western Nicaragua consists of four principal geological provinces paralleling the Mesoamerican trench: 1. Pre-Cretaceous toCretaceousophiolitic suite; 2.Tertiarybasins; 3. Tertiary volcanics; and the 4. ActiveQuaternary volcanic range.
An ophiolitic suite is found in theNicoya Complex, which is made up ofcherts,graywackes,tholeiiticpillow lavas and basalticagglomerates. It is intruded bygabbroic,diabasic, anddioritic rocks. The Cretaceous–Tertiary basin is made up of five formations of mainly marine origin. The Rivas and Britoformations are uplifted to the southeast and are overlain in the northwest by a slightly tilted marine near-shore sequence, the El Fraile formation. This in turn passes north into the undeformed Tamarindo formation, a sequence of shallow marine, lacustrine and terrestrial sediments interspersed with ignimbrites. Northeast of the Nicaraguan Depression, the Coyol and Matagalpa formations, run from Honduras to Costa Rica and still show evidence of some volcanic centres, distinguishable as constructional landforms.
Quaternary volcanic rocks are found mainly in the NicaraguanDepression and form two majorgroups: the Marrabios and the Sierras formations. The Marrabios Cordillera starts in the northwest with Cosiguina volcano and continues to the southeast withSan Cristobal,Casitas,La Pelona,Telica andRota. TheHoyo,Monte Galan,Momotombo andMomotombito volcanoes are built upon ignimbrite deposits from the nearbyMalpaisillo caldera. South-east ofLake Managua lieChiltepe, the Nejapa alignment, Masaya,Apoyo andMombacho which overlie the Sierras ignimbrites, erupted from theSierras Caldera surrounding Masaya volcano. Further south inLake Cocibolca (or Lake Nicaragua),Zapatera,Concepcion andMaderas volcanoes mark the end of Nicaraguan section of the CAVF.
| Guatemala |  | |
|---|---|---|
| El Salvador | ||
| Nicaragua | ||
| Costa Rica | ||
| Panama | ||
Note: volcanoes are ordered from north-west to south-east. | ||
