There is a new and attractive lake atop the crater of the Turrialba volcano in the province of Cartago; alas, volcano tourists should not yet rejoice. The park remains closed and under yellow alert due to an early morning eruption on Thursday, which sent heavy plumes of ash followed by a gas exhalation phase. Needless to say, the lake is strictly off-limits to swimmers.

 

As reported in recent weeks by The Costa Rica Star, the magmatic eruption of the Turrialba created a new caldera in between the two large craters:

 

About 20 minutes before midnight on October 29th, the Turrialba Volcano in the province of Cartago woke up from its slumber without warning and delivered the strongest eruption in the last 150 years. The quiet agricultural town of Turrialba was shaken by a few seismic movements, which were followed by massive ash clouds that traveled as far as communities in Heredia and Coronado.

 

As it often happens in the wake of major eruptions, the topography atop the Turrialba has changed. The central crater is now larger, and it sports a new phreatic body at this moment. The new turquoise lake that has formed in the crater of the Turrialba is similar to the lakes atop other active volcanoes in Costa Rica such as the Poas in Alajuela, which is also under yellow alert due to constant phreatic activity.

 

Last weekend, brave earth scientists from the National Seismology Network (Spanish initials: RSN) of the University of Costa Rica toured the crater of the Turrialba and snapped the pretty picture herein. Here’s their report:

 

During a cloudy morning, we have observed an intense gaseous exhalation phase. Most of the gases being exhaled into the atmosphere are water vapors, but there is a certain percentage of noxious volcanic emissions. These sulfuric gases along with water vapors cause acid rain and the unique color of the lake. We are watching this colossus closely.