Volcano Live
volcanolive.com
Cotopaxi Volcano | John Seach
Ecuador
00.677 S, 78.436 W
summit elevation 5 911 m
Stratovolcano
Cotopaxi Volcano is located on the Eastern Cordillera of the Ecuadorian Andes, 60 km south of Quito and 35 km northeast of Latacunga. Cotopaxi is one of Ecuador's most well known and active volcanoes. It is one of the world's highest active volcanoes. The cone is almost symmetrical, and covered in snow.
A high altitude hummingbird (Oreotrochilus chimborazo) has been found between 13,000 and 15,000 ft on Cotopaxi volcano, where it nests on cliffs.
There have been more than 50 eruptions since 1738. The most violent historical eruptions of Cotopaxi volcano took place in 1744, 1768, and 1877.
2015 Eruption
An eruption of Cotopaxi volcano occurred on 14th August 2015. Ash reached an altitude of 50,000 ft. Initial explosions were phreatic and didn't indicate magma had reached the surface.
Ashfall was reported north of the volcano.
1940 Eruption
An minor eruption of Cotopaxi volcano occurred in 1940.
1907 Eruption
Eruptions at Cotopaxi volcano produced columns of smoke, emission of lava , and pyroclastic flows.
1906 Eruptions
Small emission of ash, rocks and bombs.
1886 Eruptions
Abundant small eruptions of ash.
1880 Eruption
An eruption began on 3rd July 1880, with ash emissions reaching 20,000 ft above the crater in less than a minute. Observers climbing Chimborazo made the following report - "We saw a green sun, and several hours passed before the ash commenced to intervene between the sun and ourselves; and, when it did so, we witnessed effects which simply amazed us."
1877 Eruption
Four main eruptions occurred at Cotopaxi in 1877 producing high eruptive columns, and fallout of lapilli and bombs.
1853 Eruption
A 3 day eruption occurred which produced three ashfall and small lahars.
1768 Eruption
In April 1768 an explosive eruption occurred, ejecting bombs as far as La Cienega, near Tanicuchi, more than 20 km SW of the crater.
1766 Eruption
Lahars and floods affected the town of Latacunga and fallout of coarse pumice west of the volcano caused the destruction of several farms.
1744 Eruption
A major explosive eruption occurred at Cotopaxi with
extensive ash fall 7 to 10 cm thick, 10 km west of the crater.
1742 Eruption
Two main explosive eruptions occurred that year with ashfall and destructive lahars.
1534 Eruption
Hot ash was erupted from the volcano and a lahar destroyed La Contiega village.
The Chillos Valley Lahar 4500 years ago
This was the largest debris flow in the past 10,000 years. It formed on Cotopaxi volcano’s
north and northeast slopes and descended river
systems 326 km NNW to the Pacific
Ocean and 130 km east into the Amazon basin. The debris flow occurred 4500 years ago.
Further reading
Gaunt, H. Elizabeth, et al. "Juvenile magma recognition and eruptive dynamics inferred from the analysis of ash time series: The 2015 reawakening of Cotopaxi volcano." Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 328 (2016): 134-146.
Hall, M. and Mothes, P., 2008. The rhyolitic–andesitic eruptive history of Cotopaxi volcano, Ecuador. Bulletin of Volcanology, 70(6), pp.675-702.
Cotopaxi Volcano Eruptions
2015, 1942?, 1940, 1939, 1931, 1928-30?, 1905-08, 1903, 1895, 1886, 1885, 1883?, 1883, 1882, 1880, 1879, 1878, 1877, 1870-76, 1870, 1869, 1868, 1867, 1866, 1863, 1860-62, 1859, 1858, 1857, 1856, 1856, 1855, 1854, 1853, 1852, 1851, 1850, 1845, 1844, 1803, 1768, 1766, 1750, 1747-49, 1746, 1744, 1743, 1743, 1742, 1742, 1740-41, 1738, 1698, 1534, 1533, 1532, 1400, 1260, 1130, 950, 770, 760, 740, 550, 370, 180, 140, 110, 70, 80 BC, 230 BC, 1510 BC, 2220 BC, 2640 BC