Mt. Cotopaxi By Daniela Zablah

What… Cotopaxi is the highest active volcano in the world. Reaching 19,348 ft (5,897 m) Cotopaxi is an attraction to tourist from allover the world

Where… Cotopaxi is in the beautiful country of Ecuador Is located at the center of the most visited national park on the Ecuadorian mainland. Is Located 1 ½ to 2 hours south of Quito on the eastern flank of the Andes

Who… For centuries the native people of the area worshiped Cotopaxi as a god. There are ruins located near the mountain that show evidence of platforms built to worship the mighty mountain.

Past … In 1534 the conquistadors fought in a war with the locals for control of what is now Ecuador. During a battle on the edges of Cotopaxi the mountain began to erupt. The locals viewed this as a sign from their god and ran off in fear. The Spanish then followed the locals and also ran for their lives.

Climate… Temperatures don’t vary much through out the year Has lots of rain during January, May, October, and November The usual daytime temperature is 45° F. Seasonal variations temperatures range from freezing to 68°F .

Present Day… Tourist may take in the beautiful view Cotopaxi offers People can tour around the mountain to see the ancient ruins Cotopaxi offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy a variety of activities including mountaineering, hiking, birding, horseback ridding, camping and mountain biking.

Eruptions… Cotopaxi is an active volcano It has erupted 50 times since 1738. The 1877 eruption melted snow and ice on the summit, which produced mudflows that traveled 60 miles from the volcano. The most recent eruption of Cotopaxi ended in 1904. The most recent activity was an increase in steam emissions, melting snow, and small earthquakes from 1975-1976.

Extra Facts Cotopaxi is a Strato-volcano Strato-Volcanoes are the most dangerous and deadly This volcano is created from both explosive and effusive eruptions The crater is relatively small compared to the size of the mountain.

Extra, Extra facts… Cotopaxi sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire Cotopaxi is a subduction zone volcano, located where the Nazca oceanic plate is subducting underneath the continent of South America Subduction zones often create volcanoes because when the subducting plate reaches around 100 km down, it is deep within the Earths mantle and the friction of the two plates, combined with the increased temperature and pressure case the partial melting of the overriding plate ...

Continued… In this partial melting new magma is formed, creating a magma chamber in which a volcano begins to evolve

Bibliography Page 1 pic - http://mashipura.com Page 2-7 http://www.galapagosonline.com/Explore_Ecuador/Andes/central-andes/Cotopaxi.htm . Page 8-11 http://www.earlham.edu/~stoneki/geo/siri.htm Other pictures…clip art