Arenal Volcano 1968 Eruption
Arenal Volcano remained silent for more than 400 years and was considered extinct. Sure, it trembled often and in some places felt hot under foot, but the local population referred to it as a mountain: Cerro Arenal. It was home to farmers and ranchers who worked land along its base and even a short distance up its slopes.On Monday July 29, 1968, at 7:30 AM the Arenal volcano suddenly and violently erupted, blowing a huge hole out of the mountainside. Its eruptions continued for several days and completely buried over 15 square kilometers with rocks, lava, and ash. By the end, it had killed 87 people and buried 3 small villages: Tabacón, Pueblo Nuevo and San Luís. The eruptions affected a total of more than 232 square kilometers by damaging the land’s crops, property, livestock, and forests.
At the height of this ferocious activity, the volcano threw massive amounts of lava and ash. It tossed giant rocks, weighting several tons, some 600 meters per second and more than a kilometer away (2,000 feet/sec and .62 miles). The explosions formed three new active craters.
Photo: the desolated village of Arenal, with its main street "paved" by lava, was covered a few years later, when Costa Rica’s largest hydroelectric project, Lake Arenal Dam (Sangregado Dam,) created an extensive water reservoir.
The volcano has been moderately active since then, producing tumbling hot rocks, smoke, ash, and lava almost every day. The local population now lives a safe distance from the colossus, and the eruptions occur without further loss of life. From what Arenal took away in the lives of many, it has given back to the community by becoming one of Costa Rica's most visited natural attractions. While agriculture is still very important, tourism has become the main source of income for the region.
See an eruption animation from the College of Sciences at San Diego State University (opens in a new window).
Most recent Arenal Volcano Photos! | Arenal Eruption May 22, 2005 Photos | Arenal Eruption May 15, 2005 Photos | September 5th. 2003 Eruption
