Doña Juana (
) is a
stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a typically conical volcano built up by many alternating layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with ...
,
located within the
Doña Juana-Cascabel Volcanic Complex National Natural Park () in
Nariño,
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
.
With a previous eruption of
VEI 4, Doña Juana is rated as a "large" volcano of "cataclysmic" destructive power.
During its last eruption, in 1906,
more than 100 people were killed and many houses were destroyed.
Its largest known historical eruption was on November 13, 1899. In its prehistory, it is known to have erupted in the 23rd century BC in a caldera-forming eruption of unknown magnitude.
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Etymology
The name of the volcano originated from a legend of the
Chincha Indians, within whose native lands it is located: Mama Juana, a beautiful Quiteña, fell in love with Pedro, a commoner, but with the parents opposed to the marriage, they fled, becoming the victims of a curse that turned them into volcanoes.
Biodiversity
The volcano can be ascended from a slope that is part of the so-called Valley of
Orchids
Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Earth ...
. It is surrounded by an area of extraordinary
biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...
, which includes 471 species of birds (the
Andean condor
The Andean condor (''Vultur gryphus'') is a South American New World vulture and is the only member of the genus ''Vultur''. It is found in the Andes mountains and adjacent Pacific coasts of western South America. With a maximum wingspan of and ...
included),
bear
Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family (biology), family Ursidae (). They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats ...
s,
deer
A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...
and
pumas.
The summit of Dona Juana consists of a number of peaks, which afford a number of views, including of Laguna del Silencio, one of 42 lakes in the national park.
The
Petacas is located to the northeast of Doña Juana. Both volcanoes are located between the
El Tablón Fault in the west and the
San Jerónimo Fault in the east.
[Plancha 411, 2002]
Gallery
See also
*
List of volcanoes in Colombia
*
List of volcanoes by elevation
A list (incomplete) of volcanoes on Earth arranged by elevation in metres.
Above 6,000 metres
Above 5,000 metres
Above 4,000 metres
Above 3,000 metres
Above 2,000 metres
Above 1,000 metres
Below 1,000 metres
Measured ...
References
Bibliography
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dona Juana
Andean Volcanic Belt
Mountains of Colombia
Stratovolcanoes of Colombia
Quaternary South America
Quaternary volcanoes
20th-century volcanic events
Geography of Nariño Department
Four-thousanders of the Andes