Volcán Fuego, one of Central America's most active volcanoes, is
one of three large stratovolcanoes overlooking Guatemala's former
capital, Antigua. The scarp of an older edifice, Meseta, lies
between 3763-m-high Fuego and its twin volcano to the north,
Acatenango. Construction of Meseta volcano dates back to about
230,000 years and continued until the late Pleistocene or early
Holocene. Collapse of Meseta volcano may have produced the
massive Escuintla debris-avalanche deposit, which extends about
50 km onto the Pacific coastal plain. Growth of the modern Fuego
volcano followed, continuing the southward migration of
volcanism that began at Acatenango. In contrast to the mostly andesitic Acatenango volcano, eruptions at
Fuego have become more mafic with time, and most historical activity has produced basaltic rocks.
Frequent vigorous historical eruptions have been recorded at Fuego since the onset of the Spanish era in
1524, and have produced major ashfalls, along with occasional pyroclastic flows and lava flows.
(Global Volcanism Program)
Fuego
Location: 14.473° N, 90.880° W
Elevation: 3.763 m
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one of three large stratovolcanoes overlooking Guatemala's former
capital, Antigua. The scarp of an older edifice, Meseta, lies
between 3763-m-high Fuego and its twin volcano to the north,
Acatenango. Construction of Meseta volcano dates back to about
230,000 years and continued until the late Pleistocene or early
Holocene. Collapse of Meseta volcano may have produced the
massive Escuintla debris-avalanche deposit, which extends about
50 km onto the Pacific coastal plain. Growth of the modern Fuego
volcano followed, continuing the southward migration of
volcanism that began at Acatenango. In contrast to the mostly andesitic Acatenango volcano, eruptions at
Fuego have become more mafic with time, and most historical activity has produced basaltic rocks.
Frequent vigorous historical eruptions have been recorded at Fuego since the onset of the Spanish era in
1524, and have produced major ashfalls, along with occasional pyroclastic flows and lava flows.
(Global Volcanism Program)
Fuego
Location: 14.473° N, 90.880° W
Elevation: 3.763 m
HOME