Q COSTA RICA — The Rincón de la Vieja volcano, an active volcanic complex 1,916 meters high located in the province of Guanacaste, erupted again early Wednesday morning, sending a plume rising up to 2,000 meters above the crater.
According to the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory (Ovsicori), the event occurred at 12:44 a.m. and reached an acoustic magnitude of 3.9.
“The eruption produced a plume that rose between 1,000 and 2,000 meters above the crater; it is composed primarily of water vapor,” explained Cyrill Müller, a volcanologist at Ovsicori.
The expert also noted that no lahars were generated during this event.
This event is part of an eruptive period that began in early July, during which the volcano has exhibited a high frequency of eruptions.
According to Ovsicori, 249 phreatic eruptions were recorded between July 2 and September 19. Nine of these generated lahars that flowed down rivers on the volcano’s northern flank.
The intensity of the eruptions has varied throughout this active period. The most energetic eruption of the year occurred on August 31, while an event with an acoustic magnitude of 4.7 was recorded last Friday.
Müller stated on Wednesday that the volcano remains in this period of heightened activity and that Ovsicori will continue to monitor the massif for any changes in behavior.