Volcán de Fuego

The Fuego in the foreground, behind the Acatenango

The Volcán de Fuego ( Fire Volcano for Spanish) is an active, 3,763 m high stratovolcano in the south of Guatemala.

Location

It is located about 20 km southwest of the city of Antigua Guatemala, on the border of the departments Chimaltenango, Escuintla and Sacatepéquez. Together with the volcano Acatenango it forms the massif La Horqueta. The Fuego and a few kilometers east location Volcán de Agua are clearly visible from Guatemala City from usually.

The Fuego is one of the most active volcanoes in Guatemala. Major outbreaks are rare, but are above the crater often clouds of smoke.

Outbreaks

Historical eruptions

Timeline: 1586, 1614, 1623, 1631, 1632, 1651, 1664, 1668, 1671, 1677, 1686, 1689, 1699, 1702, 1705, 1706, 1710, 1775, 1799, 1829, 1850, 1852, 1855, 1856, 1857, 1860. There were further outbreaks in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Outbreak in 2007

On 9 August 2007, the Fuego broke out, he spit lava, rocks and ash. There were evacuated several people and brought to safety.

Outbreak in 2012

In May 2012, the alert level from YELLOW to ORANGE was raised ( the second highest of four levels) after increased seismic and volcanic activity.

The activities of the volcano increased again since 9 September. It went mudflows and pyroclastic flows into the valley. The next day, a lava flow started to move. After the ash cloud had risen to 3000 meters above the crater, was on September 13, the alert level RED, which is the fourth and highest level exclaimed.

The evacuation of thousands of people from five districts was arranged. Tens of thousands of people were fleeing from further outbreaks and spread of the lava flows.

Petrography

The lava rock in 1984 analyzed petrographic. This has the following composition was obtained:

• Silica (SiO2): 55.65 %
• Aluminum oxide ( Al2O3): 19.76 %
• Iron oxide ( FeO): 8.89%
• Calcium oxide ( CaO): 8.60 %
• Magnesium oxide ( MgO): 3.42%
• Sodium oxide ( Na2O): 3.04%