Cerro Negro, or “Black Hill”, is the youngest volcano in Central America, first appearing in April 1850. Despite its youth, it’s one of the region’s most active volcanoes.
Say What?!
Standing at an elevation of 728 meters, Cerro Negro offers stunning views of the surrounding landscape. It’s a cinder cone volcano, the simplest type of volcano, formed from particles and blobs of congealed lava ejected from a single vent. The volcano is made up of a black basaltic cinder cone with associated lava flows, which is where it gets its “black” name.
Will It Go BOOOM?!
Since its formation, Cerro Negro has had frequent eruptions, including Strombolian eruptions, occasional lava fountains and flows, and powerful explosive eruptions every few decades. While these eruptions haven’t caused significant damage nearby, ash fall from the explosions has damaged farmland and houses in the vicinity.
The most recent eruption was in August 1999. This eruption was marked by strong seismic activity, including quakes felt in Managua, 70 km away. The explosions produced an ash column reaching 7 km altitude, and consisted of near-continuous pulses, sometimes containing liquid lava fountains up to 300 m tall.
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