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Colima (volcano)

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Central & South American
Geography

                         Colima
   Colima's volcano as seen by the Landsat satellite
   Elevation     4,330 metres (14,206 feet)
   Location      Jalisco, Mexico
   Range         Eje Volcánico Transversal
   Coordinates   19°34′N 103°36′W
   Type          Stratovolcano
   Age of rock   5 million years
   Last eruption ongoing

   Colima's Volcano is the most active volcano in Mexico, and has erupted
   more than 40 times since 1576.

   Despite its name, only a fraction of the volcano's surface area is
   contained within the state of Colima; the majority of its surface area
   lies just over the border in the neighboring state of Jalisco, toward
   the western end of the Eje Volcánico Transversal mountain range. It is
   about 300 miles (485 kilometres) west of Mexico City and 75 miles (125
   km) south of Guadalajara, Jalisco.

   There are actually two peaks in the volcano complex: Nevado de Colima
   (4330 m), which is older and inactive, lies about 5km north of the
   younger and very active 3860m-tall Volcán de Colima (also called Volcán
   de Fuego de Colima). Since 1869-1878, a parasitic set of domes,
   collectively known as el Volcancito, have formed on the northeast flank
   of the main cone of Colima's volcano .

Geological history

   Colima's volcano has been the site of volcanic activity for about 5
   million years. In the late Pleistocene era, a huge landslide occurred
   at the mountain, with approximately 25 km³ of debris travelling some
   120 km, reaching the Pacific Ocean. An area of some 2,200 km² was
   covered in landslide deposits. Massive collapse events seem to recur at
   Colima's volcano every few thousand years.

   The currently active cone is situated within a large caldera that was
   probably formed by a combination of landslides and large eruptions.
   About 300,000 people live within 40 km of the volcano, and in light of
   its history of large eruptions and situation in a densely populated
   area, it has been designated a Decade Volcano, singling it out for
   particular study.

Current activity

   In recent years there have been frequent temporary evacuations of
   nearby villagers due to threatening volcanic activity. Eruptions have
   occurred in 1991, 1998-1999 and from 2001 to the present day, with
   activity being characterised by extrusion of viscous lava forming a
   lava dome, and occasional larger explosions, forming pyroclastic flows
   and dusting the areas surrounding the volcano with ash and tephra.

   The largest eruption for several years occurred on 24 May 2005. An ash
   cloud rose to over 3 km over the volcano, and satellite monitoring
   indicated that the cloud spread over an area extending 110 nautical
   miles west of the volcano in the hours after the eruption . Pyroclastic
   flows travelled 4-5 km from the vent, and lava bombs landed 3–4 km
   away. Authorities set up an exclusion zone within 6.5 km of the summit.

   On June 7, 2005, Colima's volcano erupted again in its largest recorded
   eruption in several decades. Plumes from this eruption reached heights
   of 5 km (>3 miles) above the crater rim, prompting the evacuation of at
   least three neighboring villages.

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