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Acatenango

Stratovolcano · Guatemala · 3976m

Acatenango (right) is seen here with Fuego at the center in 1986. Volcán Acatenango was constructed during three eruptive periods post-dating the roughly 84,000-year-old Los Chocoyos Ash from Atitlán caldera. The eruptive period of Yepocapa, the northern peak of Acatenango, ceased about 20,000 years ago. The eruption of the southern and highest cone, Pico Mayor began at that time.
Acatenango (right) is seen here with Fuego at the center in 1986. Volcán Acatenango was constructed during three eruptive periods post-dating the roughly 84,000-year-old Los Chocoyos Ash from Atitlán caldera. The eruptive period of Yepocapa, the northern peak of Acatenango, ceased about 20,000 years ago. The eruption of the southern and highest cone, Pico Mayor began at that time. · Photo: Photo by Bill Rose, 1986 (Michigan Technological University). · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Stratovolcano
Country
Guatemala
Region
Middle America-Caribbean Volcanic Regions / Central America Volcanic Arc
Elevation
3976m
Coordinates
14.501, -90.876
Last eruption
1972
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)
Landform
Composite
Major rock type
Andesite / Basaltic Andesite
Geological summary

Acatenango is ~15 km SW of the city of Antigua, Guatemala, and 3 km N of Fuego volcano. Both edifices were constructed during three eruptive periods post-dating the roughly 85,000-year-old Los Chocoyos tephra from Atitlán caldera. An older Acatenango edifice collapsed to the south sometime prior to 43,000 years ago, forming La Democracia debris-avalanche deposit, which covers a wide area of the Pacific coastal plain. Construction of the Yepocapa cone, ~900 m N of the main crater, was completed about 20,000 years ago, after which growth of the larger southern cone, Pico Central (also known as Pico Mayor), began. The first well-documented eruptions took place from 1924 to 1927 CE. Francisco Vasquez, writing in 1690 CE, noted that in 1661 a volcano that lay aside of Fuego "opened a smoking mouth and still gives off smoke from another three, but without noise."

From Wikipedia

Acatenango is a stratovolcano in Guatemala, close to the city of Antigua. It is part of the mountain range of the Sierra Madre. The volcano has two peaks, Pico Mayor and Yepocapa which is also known as Tres Hermanas. Acatenango is joined with Volcán de Fuego and collectively the volcano complex is known as La Horqueta.

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Eruption history

Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions
2710 BCE~2515 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?564 BCE~369 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?369 BCE~174 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?21~216 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1387~1582 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1777~1972 · 3 eruptions · max VEI 32710 BCE1539 BCE369 BCE6061777

Detailed timeline

  1. 1972VEI 1Observed
    1972-11-12 – 1972-12-16
    Pico Central-Yepocapa saddle
  2. 1926VEI 2Observed
    1926-08 – 1927-05-19
    Pico Central
  3. 1924VEI 3Observed
    1924-12-18 – 1925-06-07
    North slope of Pico Central
  4. 1450 (±50 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    1450 – Ongoing
  5. 90 (±100 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    90 – Ongoing
    Pico Central
  6. 260 BCE (±75 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 260 – Ongoing
    Pico Central
  7. 370 BCE (±200 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 370 – Ongoing
    Pico Central
  8. 2710 BCE (±75 yrs)VEI ?Geological estimate
    BCE 2710 – Ongoing
    Yepocapa

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.