Kat Mackey and Meredith Keenan Dept. of Geology, Colby College

Basic Information Stratovolcano Elevation of 12,346 ft. (3,763 m) Location: Guatemala – Located in the mountain range Sierra Madre de Chiapas 20 miles from Antigua – Volcanic region: Mexico and Central America – Lat/Long: ° N/90.88° W – Tectonic Setting: Subduction zone, Continental Crust (>25 km) Subduction of the Cocos Plate beneath the Caribbean Plate produces the Central American Arc

Fuego is part of a five vent complex Well-defined summit crater Said to have an “open vent” No lateral vents are well defined No historical record of lateral vent activity

Eruptive History

Collapse of the ancestral Meseta volcano about 8,500 years ago Growth continued following southward migration of volcanism from Acatenango One of the world’s most active volcanoes, with over 60 eruptions in the past 500 years –Most range from 1-3 VEI –7 recorded instances of VEI , 1717, 1737, 1857, 1880, 1932, and 1974

1974 Eruption Most voluminous eruption since 1932 Basaltic sub-Plinian event Began at 4:00 am on October 10 – Ended December 4 4 distinct episodes of basaltic air fall and ash flow Pyroclastic flows of 60 km/hr up to 10 km away Spread ash up to 8 inches deep more than 31 miles away

Common Eruptive Style Commonly plumes of fine ash up to 10 km high Lava flows Hot pyroclastic flows Eruptions are typically short lived violent vulcanian eruptions Occur in year clusters

What can we expect? Pyroclastic flows could move up to 20 km from the source Tephra falls which blow up to 100 km downwind

Rock Types Major: – Basalt/Picro-Basalt – Andesite/Basaltic Andesite – An average of 51.1% silica content Minor: – Trachyandesite/Basaltic Trachyandesite

Geologic Surveying Volcan de Fuego Web Cam – Picture updated every minute Observatory 7 miles from Fuego peak Appears Michigan Tech is invested in this volcano

Tourism La Reunion Resort, Sacatepequez, Guatemala Day and Night tours Near constant eruptions excite tourists, but the nature of these eruptions limits the actual tourism

Works Cited Vallance J.W. S.P. Schilling, O. Matías, W.I. Rose, and M.M Howell, 2001: volcano Hazards at Fuego and Acatenango, Guatemala. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report p. Rüdiger Escobar-Wolf, 2009 Fieldwork report: Physical volcanology and hazards Volcán de Fuego, Guatemala. Lyons J. J., G. P. Waite, William I. Rose and G. Chigna, 2008: Patterns in open vent, strombolian behavior at Fuego volcano, Guatemala, 2005–2007. Bull Volcanol. NATIONAL -Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology, 2015: at (accessed January 20 th 2015) (accessed January 20 th 2015)