This week I visited Cotopaxi in Ecuador. While it’s located on the
South American plate, it’s more importantly located in the
‘Ring of Fire’. Characterized by massive amounts of plate
movements, most of the world’s earthquakes and volcanic
eruptions occur here. A very likely reason it exists where it does!
Cotopaxi has not only erupted recently, but many times in the last
200 years! Once again, it’s location on the ‘Ring of Fire’ is a key
explanation as to its’ activity. Most recently it erupted in August ‘15 to
January 16’. While not much damage was caused during the eruption,
It does score a six on the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI). This implies
it’s very explosive and dangerous.
There are significant hazards associated with Cotopaxi. Firstly,
it has a large ice cap that melts when the volcano erupts. This can cause
lahars, or flows of mud containing pyroclastic rocks, water, and of course
mud. Entire cities have been buried under mud from lahars in the past,
which segways into the next problem. Quito and Latacunga are both close
enough to it, that with a sufficiently large explosion, they would be destroyed.
Quioto is Ecuador’s most populated city and Latacunga has actually been
destroyed twice already by lahars from the volcano. Cotopaxi is extremely
likely to erupt again. Nothing about its’ past or location would suggest
otherwise. It was pretty incredible to see such a powerful volcano! Not to
mention one of my favorite painters has painted it (picture below!).
Cotopaxi, by Frederic Church (1862)
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