The Fuego volcano in Guatemala registered between five and eight weak to moderate explosions per hour on November 14, with ash columns reaching up to 4,800 meters above sea level and affecting areas of the department of Sacatepéquez.
The activity included ash dispersal toward the east and northeast, while authorities maintained monitoring due to the possibility of lahars, mudflows, and volcanic material that can descend through nearby channels during rains.
The National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology reported that during the previous night and early morning there was weak to moderate degassing. The fumaroles rose about 400 meters above the crater and drifted toward the northeast.
The colossus is a composite stratovolcano 3,763 meters tall, located at coordinates 14° 28′ 54″ north latitude and 90° 52′ 54″ west longitude. Its eruptive pattern corresponds to the Vulcanian type, characterized by explosions that expel gases, ash, and incandescent fragments.
Incandescent material in six ravines
The incandescent pulses reached up to 200 meters above the crater and were accompanied by weak avalanches. There was also incandescent material falling around the summit, with descents through the Ceniza, Taniluyá, Seca, Santa Teresa, Trinidad, and Las Lajas ravines.
In some of those channels, the fragments reached the edge of the veget…
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A column of smoke and ash rises from the summit of a volcano into the sky above surrounding mountains. (Conred Guatemala)
The Fuego volcano in Guatemala recorded between five and eight weak to moderate explosions per hour this November 14, with ash columns reaching up to 4,800 meters above sea level and affecting sectors of the department of Sacatepéquez. The activity included ash dispersal toward the east and northeast, while authorities maintained monitoring due to the possibility of lahars — mudflows of volcanic material that can descend through nearby channels during rains.
The National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology reported that during the previous night and early morning there was weak to moderate degassing. The fumaroles rose about 400 meters above the crater and drifted toward the northeast. The colossus is a composite stratovolcano 3,763 meters tall, located at coordinates 14° 28′ 54″ north latitude and 90° 52′ 54″ west longitude. Its eruptive pattern corresponds to the Vulcanian type, characterized by explosions that expel gases, ash and incandescent fragments.
A volcanological bulletin from INSIVUMEH details the weather conditions and the record of explosions at the Fuego volcano in Guatemala. (Insivumeh)
Incandescent material in six ravines
The incandescent pulses reached up to 200 meters above the crater and were accompanied by weak avalanches. There was also the fall of incandescent material around the summit, with descents through the Ceniza, Taniluyá, Seca, Santa Teresa, Trinidad and Las Lajas ravines. In some of those channels, the fragments reached the edge of the vegetation.
The presence of this material is part of the activity that Insivumeh constantly records at the Fuego volcano. One day earlier, on November 13, between three and five explosions per hour had been counted. On that day, the columns of gas and ash reached 4,700 meters above sea level and drifted toward the northeast to a distance of 60 kilometers, according to the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction. The ash fall then reached El Porvenir, La Candelaria, Alotenango, Ciudad Vieja and Antigua Guatemala. The instrumental records did not show an increase in volcanic activity, the entity specified.
The Fuego volcano is one of the most active in Central America and went through an eruptive phase of greater intensity on August 3 and 4. During that episode, pyroclastic flows descended repeatedly through several ravines and traveled between five and seven kilometers from the crater. The ash columns from that eruption dispersed up to 120 kilometers to the west and northwest of the country. The activity forced the evacuation of hundreds of families from nearby communities. After nearly 50 hours of intense activity, Insivumeh reported on August 5 that the volcano had returned to its usual parameters. The explosions, gas emissions and ash dispersal have continued since then.
A volcanological bulletin from INSIVUMEH details the weather conditions and the record of explosions at the Fuego volcano in Guatemala. (Insivumeh)
The Santiaguito volcano, in the department of Quetzaltenango, also remains under surveillance for its eruptive activity. It registers between one and three weak to moderate explosions per hour, which generate columns of gas and ash up to 900 meters high. On November 11, incandescence was observed on the Caliente dome, accompanied by rockfalls and blocks on its slopes. The authorities do not rule out that this volcano may produce long-range pyroclastic flows.
That same day, an inter-institutional evacuation drill was carried out in the municipality of El Palmar. Participants included the Executive Secretariat of the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction, the Ministry of Education, the National Civil Police and the Guatemalan Red Cross, among other institutions.
In response to the activity of the Fuego volcano, SE-Conred recommended avoiding entering the ravines and not crossing channels when lahars are present. The entity asked the population to follow official accounts for updates. In areas affected by ash, the authorities advised covering water and food storage, wearing a mask and reducing prolonged outdoor activities. Conred keeps line 119 open for reporting emergencies.