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Cerro Moyotepe

San Cristobal

Stratovolcano · Nicaragua · 1745m

The San Cristóbal volcanic complex consists of five principal edifices. The youngest cone, the namesake San Cristóbal, seen here from the south, is the highest peak of the Marrabios Range. Several radial flank craters occur along a N-S line on the outer north flank of 1745-m-high San Cristóbal. Historical activity, consisting of small-to-moderate explosive eruptions, has been reported since the 16th century. The SW crater rim (left) rises 140 m above the NE rim because prevailing trade winds distribute tephra to the SW.
The San Cristóbal volcanic complex consists of five principal edifices. The youngest cone, the namesake San Cristóbal, seen here from the south, is the highest peak of the Marrabios Range. Several radial flank craters occur along a N-S line on the outer north flank of 1745-m-high San Cristóbal. Historical activity, consisting of small-to-moderate explosive eruptions, has been reported since the 16th century. The SW crater rim (left) rises 140 m above the NE rim because prevailing trade winds distribute tephra to the SW. · Photo: Photo by Jaime Incer. · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Stratovolcano
Country
Nicaragua
Region
Middle America & Caribbean / Central America Volcanic Arc
Elevation
1745m
Coordinates
12.702, -87.004
Last eruption
2024
Tectonic setting
Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km)
Landform
Composite
Major rock type
Basalt / Picro-Basalt
Geological summary

The San Cristóbal volcanic complex, consisting of five principal volcanic edifices, forms the NW end of the Marrabios Range. The symmetrical 1745-m-high youngest cone, named San Cristóbal (also known as El Viejo), is Nicaragua's highest volcano and is capped by a 500 x 600 m wide crater. El Chonco, with several flank lava domes, is located 4 km W of San Cristóbal; it and the eroded Moyotepe volcano, 4 km NE of San Cristóbal, are of Pleistocene age. Volcán Casita, containing an elongated summit crater, lies immediately east of San Cristóbal and was the site of a catastrophic landslide and lahar in 1998. The Plio-Pleistocene La Pelona caldera is located at the eastern end of the complex. Historical eruptions from San Cristóbal, consisting of small-to-moderate explosive activity, have been reported since the 16th century. Some other 16th-century eruptions attributed to Casita volcano are uncertain and may have been from other Marrabios Range volcanoes.

Eruption history

Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions
1528~1578 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 31578~1627 · 1 eruptions · max VEI ?1677~1726 · 3 eruptions · max VEI 21925~1974 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 11974~2024 · 32 eruptions · max VEI 315281627177618751974

Detailed timeline

  1. 2024VEI 1Observed
    2024-06-07 – 2024-06-07
  2. 2023VEI 1Observed
    2023-07-05 – 2023-07-05
  3. 2020VEI 2Observed
    2020-12-27 – 2022-06-26
  4. 2019VEI 1Observed
    2019-03-04 – 2019-03-04
  5. 2018VEI 1Observed
    2018-04-22 – 2018-04-22
    Summit crater
  6. 2017VEI 3Observed
    2017-08-18 – 2017-11-11
    Summit crater
  7. 2017VEI 1Observed
    2017-02-18 – 2017-04-19
    Summit crater
  8. 2016VEI 2Observed
    2016-04-22 – 2016-04-22
    Summit crater
  9. 2015VEI 2Observed
    2015-03-05 – 2015-06-12
    Summit crater
  10. 2014VEI 1Observed
    2014-07-20 – 2014-10-01
    Summit crater
  11. 2014VEI 1Observed
    2014-02-04 – 2014-04-12
    Summit crater
  12. 2013VEI 1Observed
    2013-06-07 – 2013-06-07
    Summit crater
  13. 2012VEI 2Observed
    2012-09-08 – 2012-09-15
    Summit crater
  14. 2012VEI 2Observed
    2012-12-26 – 2012-12-28
    Summit crater
  15. 2011VEI 1Observed
    2011-08-21 – 2011-10-23
    Summit crater
  16. 2010VEI 2Observed
    2010-06-09 – 2011-01-13
    Summit crater
  17. 2009VEI 2Observed
    2009-09-06 – 2009-12-26
  18. 2008VEI 1Observed
    2008-06-22 – 2008-08-05
  19. 2008VEI 1Observed
    2008-11-21 – 2008-11-21
  20. 2007VEI 1Observed
    2007-11-08 – Ongoing
  21. 2005VEI 2Observed
    2005-11-13 – 2006-05-27
  22. 2004VEI 1Observed
    2004-12-03 – 2004-12-07
  23. 2003VEI 1Observed
    2003-06-17 – 2004-06-13
  24. 2002VEI 1Observed
    2002-05-29 – 2002-12-16
  25. 2001VEI 1Observed
    2001-05-11 – 2001-12-09
  26. 1999VEI 2Observed
    1999-05-01 – 2000-06-16
  27. 1997VEI 1Observed
    1997-05-19 – 1997-07-07
  28. 1987VEI ?Geological estimate
    1987-11-16 – Ongoing
  29. 1985VEI ?Geological estimate
    1985-09-02 – Ongoing
  30. 1977VEI 2Observed
    1977-10-16 – 1977-10-16
  31. 1976VEI 1Observed
    1976-03-09 – 1976-03-16
  32. 1976VEI 1Observed
    1976-08-29 – 1976-08-29
  33. 1971VEI 1Observed
    1971-05-03 – 1971-07-05
  34. 1685VEI 2Observed
    1685-08 – Ongoing
  35. 1684VEI 2Observed
    1684-07 – Ongoing
  36. 1680VEI 2Observed
    1680 – Ongoing
  37. 1613VEI ?Geological estimate
    1613 – Ongoing
  38. 1528 (±1 yrs)VEI 3Observed
    1528 – Ongoing

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.