Lago de Atitlán is a large endorheic lake (one that does not flow to
the sea) in the Guatemalan Highlands. The lake has an area of
126 km, from east to west about 18 km long and lies about 1560
meters above sea level. Atitlan is recognized to be the deepest
lake in Central America with maximum depth about 340 meters.
The lake is shaped by deep escarpments which surround it and by
three volcanoes on its southern flank. Lake Atitlan is further
characterized by towns and villages of the Maya people. Lago de
Atitlán is about 50 kilometres west-northwest of Antigua. German
explorer Alexander von Humboldt is the earliest prominent
foreigner generally quoted as calling it "the most beautiful lake in
the world." The lake is volcanic in origin, filling an enormous
caldera formed in an eruption 84,000 years ago. The region first
saw volcanic activity about 11 million years ago, and since then
has seen four separate episodes of volcanic growth and caldera
collapse, the most recent of which began about 1.8 million years ago and culminated in the formation of the
present caldera. The lake now fills a large part of the caldera, reaching depths of up to 600 metres. The
caldera-forming eruption is known as Los Chocoyos eruption, and ejected up to 300 km3 of tephra. The
enormous eruption dispersed ash over an area of some 6 million km², it has been detected from Florida to
Ecuador. Since the end of Los Chocoyos, continuing
volcanism has built three volcanoes in the caldera.
Volcan Atitlán (3.535 m) lies on the southern rim of the
caldera, while Volcán San Pedro (3.020 m) and Volcán
Tolimán (3.158 m) lie within the caldera. San Pedro is the
oldest of the three and seems to have stopped erupting
about 40,000 years ago. Tolimán began growing after
San Pedro stopped erupting, and probably remains
active, although it has not erupted in historic times.
Atitlán has grown almost entirely in the last 10,000 years,
and remains active, with its most recent eruption having
occurred in 1853. On February 4, 1976, a massive
earthquake (magnitude 7.5) struck Guatemala killing
more than 26,000 people. The earthquake fractured the
lake bed causing subsurface drainage from the lake,
allowing the water level to drop two meters within one
month.
Lago de Atitlán
Location: 14°42’N 91°12’W
Elivation: 1560m
March 1992
HOME
the sea) in the Guatemalan Highlands. The lake has an area of
126 km, from east to west about 18 km long and lies about 1560
meters above sea level. Atitlan is recognized to be the deepest
lake in Central America with maximum depth about 340 meters.
The lake is shaped by deep escarpments which surround it and by
three volcanoes on its southern flank. Lake Atitlan is further
characterized by towns and villages of the Maya people. Lago de
Atitlán is about 50 kilometres west-northwest of Antigua. German
explorer Alexander von Humboldt is the earliest prominent
foreigner generally quoted as calling it "the most beautiful lake in
the world." The lake is volcanic in origin, filling an enormous
caldera formed in an eruption 84,000 years ago. The region first
saw volcanic activity about 11 million years ago, and since then
has seen four separate episodes of volcanic growth and caldera
collapse, the most recent of which began about 1.8 million years ago and culminated in the formation of the
present caldera. The lake now fills a large part of the caldera, reaching depths of up to 600 metres. The
caldera-forming eruption is known as Los Chocoyos eruption, and ejected up to 300 km3 of tephra. The
enormous eruption dispersed ash over an area of some 6 million km², it has been detected from Florida to
Ecuador. Since the end of Los Chocoyos, continuing
volcanism has built three volcanoes in the caldera.
Volcan Atitlán (3.535 m) lies on the southern rim of the
caldera, while Volcán San Pedro (3.020 m) and Volcán
Tolimán (3.158 m) lie within the caldera. San Pedro is the
oldest of the three and seems to have stopped erupting
about 40,000 years ago. Tolimán began growing after
San Pedro stopped erupting, and probably remains
active, although it has not erupted in historic times.
Atitlán has grown almost entirely in the last 10,000 years,
and remains active, with its most recent eruption having
occurred in 1853. On February 4, 1976, a massive
earthquake (magnitude 7.5) struck Guatemala killing
more than 26,000 people. The earthquake fractured the
lake bed causing subsurface drainage from the lake,
allowing the water level to drop two meters within one
month.
Lago de Atitlán
Location: 14°42’N 91°12’W
Elivation: 1560m
March 1992
HOME