Telica erupts spewing ash on nearby towns, Nicaragua

Nicaragua's Telica volcano, located about 112 km NW of capital Managua, has entered new eruptive phase on May 8, 2015 spewing rocks and gases and covering nearby towns with ash on several occasions.

INETER has registered 30 small eruptions by May 11. The strongest occurred on Sunday night (May 10) when Telica spewed hot rocks, gas and ash reaching a height of 400 meters, the agency said.

The flaming rocks caused vegetation on the volcano's slopes to catch fire, and fiery balls of burning foliage created a spectacle for observers. The nearby towns of Posoltega and Guanacastal were dusted in ash following the eruptions, but no major damage or injuries were reported, AFP reports.

Population living nearby is advised to protect against volcanic ash and cover their water supplies.

Geologic summary

Telica, one of Nicaragua's most active volcanoes, has erupted frequently since the beginning of the Spanish era. This volcano group consists of several interlocking cones and vents with a general NW alignment. Sixteenth-century eruptions were reported at symmetrical Santa Clara volcano at the SW end of the group. However, its eroded and breached crater has been covered by forests throughout historical time, and these eruptions may have originated from Telica, whose upper slopes in contrast are unvegetated.

The steep-sided cone of 1061-m-high Telica is truncated by a 700-m-wide double crater; the southern crater, the source of recent eruptions, is 120 m deep. El Liston, immediately SE of Telica, has several nested craters. The fumaroles and boiling mudpots of Hervideros de San Jacinto, SE of Telica, form a prominent geothermal area frequented by tourists, and geothermal exploration has occurred nearby. (GVP)

Featured image: Telica eruption on May 10, 2015. Credit: Economía Basada en Recursos.