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 t ...
in north-western
Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
, 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 its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...
, 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, who 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 average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...
, and its summit is the highest point in
Rincón de la Vieja National Park
Rincón de la Vieja National Park ( es, Parque Nacional Rincón de la Vieja), is a National Park in Guanacaste Province of the northwestern part of Costa Rica.
It encompasses the Rincón de la Vieja and Santa María Volcano, Costa Rica, Santa M ...
. 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 other 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 produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by circ ...
s on its slopes. It is formed by
felsic
In geology, felsic is a 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 with mafic rocks, whi ...
lava.
Rincón de la Vieja is one of six active Costa Rican volcanoes: the others are
Poás,
Irazú,
Miravalles
The Miravalles Volcano is an andesitic stratovolcano in Costa Rica. The caldera was formed during several major explosive eruptions that produced voluminous dacitic-rhyolitic pyroclastic flows
A pyroclastic flow (also known as a pyroclastic de ...
,
Arenal, and
Turrialba.
As of 2021, only Rincón de la Vieja, Turrialba and Poás are considered active.
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 the thermal energy in the Earth's crust which originates from the formation of the planet and from radioactive decay of materials in currently uncertain but possibly roughly equal proportions. The high temperature and pres ...
. 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, International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantification (science), ...
s. However, as the area is protected within a
national park
A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
, drilling was limited to test wells until 2001.
In 2013, the extension of the Las Pailas Geothermal Power Plant to 55
megawatt
The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of Power (physics), power or radiant flux in the International System of Units, International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantification (science), ...
, 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 EU Member States. It is one of the largest supranational lenders in the world. The EIB finances and invests both through equity and debt solutions ...
, was started.
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 animal species (biology), species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous ...
,
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 like binoculars or a telescope, b ...
,
geology
Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ear ...
and other interests are 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 jv, ꦮ꧀ꦭꦲꦂ) is a violent type of mudflow or debris flow composed of a slurry of pyroclastic material, rocky debris and water. The material flows down from a volcano, typically along a river valley.
Lahars are extreme ...
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.
See also
*
List of volcanoes in Costa Rica
This is a list of active and extinct volcanoes in Costa Rica.
See also
* List of lakes in Costa Rica
* Central America Volcanic Arc
* List of volcanoes in El Salvador
* List of volcanoes in Guatemala
* List of volcanoes in Honduras
* List o ...
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