Standing at 3,772m high, Santa Maria Mountain is an active volcano in the western highlands of Guatemala. The volcano is approximately 30,000 years old, and its volcanic activities can be contextualized by the situation of intricate lava domes in the world on the volcano (Lamb et al., 2019). The volcano was initially called Gagxanul, but the name changed to Santa Maria Volcano. Like other Volcanoes in Mexico, the first name is of Mayan origin, while the second is one coined by the Spaniards when they colonized Mexico. The map below shows the exact location of Santa Maria Volcano.
Although there have been episodes of dormancy after some major eruptions, the Santa Maria volcano has been highly active in the near past. Just like a few other notable volcanic mountains, its formation was influenced by plate tectonic movements. Being a stratovolcano, it was formed after the formation of stratovolcano lines, most of which were influenced by the subduction of two major tectonic plates, the Caribbean and Cocos plates. The collision of two plate tectonics at the convergence boundary resulted in the formation of the volcano.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Although the volcano has had significant eruptions in the 20th century, it is estimated that eruptions were witnessed as early as 103 Ka. One of the most significant eruptions in the mountain’s history was witnessed in 1902. Prior to that, it is estimated that the volcano was dormant for more than 500 years. The 1902 eruption lasted for 19 days. It was the most explosive as well as disruptive ones. After the 1902 eruption, 20 years of dormancy followed. In 1922, the Santiaguito lava dome began releasing lava. It has been active for more than 62 years. Since 1902, the Santiaguito volcano has developed vents. As a result, minor eruptions have severally occurred from such vents. Although the explosions have been relatively minor, in 1929, the collapse of the Santiaguito dome resulted in a catastrophic eruption. The nature of some of the eruptions has been gentle, but others have been massive and highly destructive. During the eruptions, lava, volcanic ash, cinder, and huge rocks are ejected from the volcano. The eruptions have been highly hazardous, especially to the coffee plantations in the region and individuals living in the area. In the 1902 explosion, eight cubic kilometers of magma was released. Climate disruption from volcanic ash was evident as far as San Francisco. During such events, the types of volcanic rocks emitted were mainly made of basaltic andesite. Plutonic and metamorphic rocks have also resulted from some eruptions. One of the eruptions is shown below.
The main cone associated with the 1902 Santa Maria volcano has been inactive for some time now. However, the four domes that have resulted from the formation of Santiaguito have remained active for a long time. They are mainly to blame for the volcanic hazards that are witnessed in the nearby regions. The danger that these domes pose to the communities living nearby is undisputed. At the same time, the likelihood of an eruption, given current activity, is highly probable. The ongoing volcanic activities in the different domes are an indication of future catastrophic eruptions. The future eruptions are likely to be highly dangerous, especially because of the effects caused by previous explosions, for example, an over steepened southern part of the mountain. An eruption could result in massive landslides that are dangerous to people and property.
Some of the fascination facts learned about the volcano include the lahars flows that are witnessed in different river valleys as a result of rain and volcanic activities. It is also interesting to note that the first significant eruption in the 20th century resulted in the emergence of vents that have remained to be significant eruption points. The biggest question one could ask is if future eruptions will result in the formation of even more domes and hence, active vents.
References
Lamb, O. D., Lamur, A., Díaz-Moreno, A., De Angelis, S., Hornby, A. J., von Aulock, F. W., ... & Alvarez, I. (2019). Disruption of long-term effusive-explosive activity at Santiaguito, Guatemala. Frontiers in Earth Science , 6 , 253.
Schmidt, L. J. (2004). Sensing Remote Volcanoes. Supporting Earth Observing Science 2004 , 12.
Rose Jr, W. I., Grant, N. K., Hahn, G. A., Lange, I. M., Powell, J. L., Easter, J., & Degraff, J. M. (1977). The evolution of Santa Maria volcano, Guatemala. The Journal of Geology , 85 (1), 63-87.
