Source: OVSICORI

A new eruption of the Turrialba volcano on Wednesday afternoon did not stop officials from the Ministry of Education from resuming classes at 16 schools that were affected by volcanic activity last week. The most recent eruption occurred just after 1:30 pm on a sunny afternoon in Costa Rica; the volcanic matter expelled this time was mostly gases and steam.

Personnel from the Observatory on Volcanology and Seismology of Costa Rica (Spanish initials: OVSICORI) were collecting ash samples about two kilometers from the Turrialba crater in the community of La Central when the observed a moderate release of gas and steam. A quick look at the seismographs indicated a slight eruption; the OVSICORI scientists explained that there is nothing to worry about.

Right around the time of the eruption, the Ministry of Education announced that most schools closed last week would go back to normal operations on Monday. Four small schools located near the crater will remain closed; they are Las Virtudes, Las Brasas (The Embers), La Reunión, and the aptly named El Volcán. A total of 33 students are affected by this protracted closure.

Educators and school staff from the institutions that were closed last week were given refresher training on disaster planning and management during the time classes were canceled.

In the early morning hours of Wednesday, OVSICORI seismographs recorded high levels of seismicity, but the cameras and microphones installed near the crater did not register an eruption. Volcanologists are closely watching the western portion of the crater, where they believe there may be an obstruction of volcanic matter. Pressure levels are building up within the Turrialba in a fashion similar to a pressure cookers, hence the intensity of the ash eruptions that took place last week.

At this point, geologists in Costa Rica are hoping that the built-up pressure in the Turrialba can be released moderately through the network of existing calderas in the crater. Aside from the dangers of a strong magmatic eruption, there is also a concern of heavy landslides if new calderas are violently formed.