Satellite Catches Rare Glimpse Of Costa Rica Volcano
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, Jan. 25 – As was reported a few weeks back, a new vent had opened on the Turrialba Costa Rica volcano and since 2010 we have witness increased activity.
NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image of the new vent, located on the southeastern flank of the Turrialba volcano’s West Crater, on Jan. 12, said a NASA release paper.
The Observatorio Vulcanologico y Sismologico de Costa Rica (OVSICORI) reported the new vent showed “a vigorous output of bluish gas at high temperature that generated a jet-like sound audible from the visitor lookout.”
Turrialba volcano. The false-color image is a combination of near infrared, red, and green light. Healthy vegetation is bright red, while vegetation damaged by years of acidic gas emissions is brown. Bare ground in the summit craters is brown or gray. Credit: NASA
The rock at the summit of Turrialba is very weak due to the intense rains of the region and the persistent hydrothermal activity at the summit, seismologists said – this allows new vents to open when pressure from below is high enough to make its way through the weakened rock.
A couple times now throughout the new year, Turrialba has been evacuated for fear of a substantial eruption.
The current eruptions and vent openings are the first substantial activity at Turrialba since the 1860s, researchers said. Furthermore they are anticipating more.
Short URL: http://www.costaricanewssite.com/?p=6050
Posted by 
