Fuego, Guatemala

By ExploreNow Editor, on March 22nd, 2012

Volcano Type:     Stratovolcano
Volcano Status:   Historical
Last Known Eruption:    2010 (continuing)
Summit Elevation:    3763 m    12,346 feet
Latitude:    14.473°N    14°28’22″N
Longitude:    90.880°W    90°52’49″W

Volcán Fuego, one of Central America’s most active volcanoes, is one of three large stratovolcanoes overlooking Guatemala’s former capital, Antigua. The scarp of an older edifice, Meseta, lies between 3763-m-high Fuego and its twin volcano to the north, Acatenango. Construction of Meseta volcano dates back to about 230,000 years and continued until the late Pleistocene or early Holocene. Collapse of Meseta volcano may have produced the massive Escuintla debris-avalanche deposit, which extends about 50 km onto the Pacific coastal plain. Growth of the modern Fuego volcano followed, continuing the southward migration of volcanism that began at Acatenango. In contrast to the mostly andesitic Acatenango volcano, eruptions at Fuego have become more mafic with time, and most historical activity has produced basaltic rocks. Frequent vigorous historical eruptions have been recorded at Fuego since the onset of the Spanish era in 1524, and have produced major ashfalls, along with occasional pyroclastic flows and lava flows.

Fuego Volcano ash column

Like other volcanic front volcanoes in Guatemala, Fuego is located along a WNW-trending line at the Southern edge of a belt of Tertiary volcanic rocks which make up the Guatemalan highlands. The topography of this Tertiary belt is highly irregular and Fuego is built on the same irregular topography. The Tertiary rocks include lava flows and laharic units, and probably represent erosional remnants of volcanoes which range from Miocene to Quaternary age. The older volcanic remnants buttress the modern Fuego cone and are topographic barriers to all gravity-driven deposits.

Fuego Volcano eruption

Fuego is located just South of another young volcano, Acatenango; the two make up a paired volcano, like others in Northern Central America. The two volcanoes have erupted lavas which differ notable in composition – most of Acatenango’s lavas are andesites, while Fuego has recently erupted only basalt. Acatenango also has a much lower level recent activity. The N trending line between Acatenango and Fuego also encompasses the positions of two minor vents, Yepocapa and Meseta. Meseta represents an older, partly eroded or collapsed vent just North of Fuego. It is broadly andesitic in composition.