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Country: | Costa Rica | |
| Subregion Name: | Costa Rica | ||
| Volcano Number: | 1405-02= | ||
| Volcano Type: | Complex volcano | ||
| Volcano Status: | Historical | ||
| Last Known Eruption: | 1998 | ||
| Summit Elevation: | 1916 m | 6,286 feet | |
| Latitude: | 10.830°N | 10°49'48"N | |
| Longitude: | 85.324°W | 85°19'26"W | |
| Rincón de la Vieja, the largest volcano in NW Costa Rica, is a remote volcanic complex in the Guanacaste Range. The volcano consists of an elongated, arcuate NW-SE-trending ridge that was constructed within the 15-km-wide early Pleistocene Guachipelín caldera, whose rim is exposed on the south side. Rincón de la Vieja, sometimes known as the "Colossus of Guanacaste," has an estimated volume of 130 cu km and contains at least 9 major eruptive centers. Activity has migrated to the SE, where the youngest-looking craters are located. The twin cone of 1916-m-high Santa María volcano, the highest peak of the Rincón complex, is located at the eastern end of a smaller, 5-km-wide caldera and has a 500-m-wide crater. A plinian eruption producing the 0.25 cu km Río Blanca tephra about 3500 years ago was the last major magmatic eruption from the volcano. All subsequent eruptions, including numerous historical eruptions possibly dating back to the 16th century, have been from the prominent crater containing a 500-m-wide acid lake (known as the Active Crater) located ENE of Von Seebach crater. | |||
