Rincón de la Vieja is an active

andesitic Andesite () is a volcanic rock of intermediate composition. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between silica-poor basalt and silica-rich rhyolite. It is fine-grained (aphanitic) to porphyritic in texture, and is composed predomina ...

complex volcano A complex volcano, also called a compound volcano or a volcanic complex, is a mixed landform consisting of related volcanic centers and their associated lava flows and pyroclastic rock. They may form due to changes in eruptive habit or ...

in north-western

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

, about from

Liberia Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast–Lib ...

, in the province of Guanacaste.

Toponymy

Its name means "The Old Woman's Corner", or "Old Woman’s Nook" a reference to a local legend about princess Curabanda whose lover Mixcoac, chief of a neighboring enemy tribe, was thrown into the crater by her father Curabande when he learned about their affair. She went on living on the side of the volcano, giving birth to a son. To be with its father, she threw her son into the volcano, too. She continued to live on the volcano and became a recluse living on the mountain, and was credited with powers of healing. Rincón de la Vieja stands above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...

, and its summit is the highest point in Rincón de la Vieja National Park. It erupted most recently in June 2021. The volcano has many

fumarole A fumarole (or fumerole) is a vent in the surface of the Earth or another rocky planet from which hot volcanic gases and vapors are emitted, without any accompanying liquids or solids. Fumaroles are characteristic of the late stages of volcani ...

s and

hot spring A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a Spring (hydrology), spring produced by the emergence of Geothermal activity, geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow ...

s on its slopes. It is formed by

felsic In geology, felsic is a grammatical modifier, modifier describing igneous rocks that are relatively rich in elements that form feldspar and quartz.Marshak, Stephen, 2009, ''Essentials of Geology,'' W. W. Norton & Company, 3rd ed. It is contrasted ...

lava. Rincón de la Vieja is one of six active Costa Rican volcanoes: the others are Poás, Irazú, Miravalles, Arenal, and

Turrialba Turrialba may refer to: Places * Turrialba Volcano * Turrialba Volcano National Park, created around Turrialba Volcano. * Turrialba (canton), located in Cartago Province Cartago (), which means Carthage in Spanish, is a Provinces of Costa Ri ...

. As of 2021, only Rincón de la Vieja, Turrialba and Poás are considered active. Currently, it is a national park where many trails are usually closed due to volcanic activities, and it is normal to hear rumblings from the volcano from time to time, whose sound resembles that of thunder.

Geothermal energy

There are many hot pools and areas of bubbling mud in two areas on the slopes of the volcano, indicating substantial reserves of

geothermal energy Geothermal energy is thermal energy extracted from the crust (geology), crust. It combines energy from the formation of the planet and from radioactive decay. Geothermal energy has been exploited as a source of heat and/or electric power for m ...

. Investigations have been carried out into the feasibility of tapping these reserves, and the volcano is estimated to have a generating potential of 140

megawatt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of Power (physics), power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantification (science), quantify the rate of Work ...

s. However, as the area is protected within a

national park A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...

, drilling was limited to test wells until 2001. In 2013, the extension of the Las Pailas Geothermal Power Plant to 55

, financed in part by a credit from the

European Investment Bank The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the European Union's investment bank and is owned by the 27 member states. It is the largest multilateral financial institution in the world. The EIB finances and invests both through equity and debt sol ...

, was started. On the outsides of the national park, a geothermal plant of the

ICE Ice is water that is frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 ° C, 32 ° F, or 273.15 K. It occurs naturally on Earth, on other planets, in Oort cloud objects, and as interstellar ice. As a naturally oc ...

is located there, which generates renewable energy from the volcano, being the second in the entire country, the other being from the Miravalles Volcano.

Tourism

The Rincón de la Vieja Volcano is set within the Rincón de la Vieja National Park, which spans over and helps protect both montane forests and dwarf cloud forests. Trails extend from the Santa Maria ranger station and wind through the park, passing hot springs and waterfalls along the way. Mammals within the park include sloths, tapirs, kinkajous, pumas, jaguar, and both howler and spider monkeys. Previously, hikers could climb to the crater and guides experienced in

wildlife Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animals and uncultivated plant species which can exist in their natural habitat, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introdu ...

birdwatching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device such as binoculars or a telescop ...

geology Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...

and other interests were available. As of September 22, 2011, access to the crater is no longer available due to the eruption of September 16 where volcanic ash and mud rose over from the regular crater lagoon. Several lodges, resorts and hotels in the area offer hiking, forest canopy tours, horseback riding, river-rafting, all-terrain-vehicle riding and wall-climbing.

Activity

2010s

* 23 May 2017, eruptions occurred and

lahar A lahar (, from ) is a violent type of mudflow or debris flow composed of a slurry of Pyroclastic rock, pyroclastic material, rocky debris and water. The material flows down from a volcano, typically along a valley, river valley. Lahars are o ...

s flowed through nearby rivers. * 11 June 2017, eruptions occurred and lahars flowed through nearby rivers.

2020s

* 4–6 April 2020, hydrothermal, gas, and steam eruption. * 19 April 2020, a ash column eruption occurs which prompts the authorities to activate emergency protocols in the surrounding areas. * 1 June 2020, a ash column eruption occurred at 5 pm, activity has been ongoing since April. * 28 June 2021, a ash column eruption occurred at 5:42 am. * 21 April 2023, a volcanic cloud was released at 3:57 pm. It was also reported that materials from the volcano's lagoon were expelled to the northern side of the cone and had reached several surrounding rivers.

References

External links

Rincon de la Vieja, the backbone of Central America

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rincon de la Vieja Volcano Stratovolcanoes of Costa Rica Subduction volcanoes Active volcanoes Mountains of Costa Rica Complex volcanoes Volcanic crater lakes Geography of Guanacaste Province North American 1000 m summits