Lago Ilopango – an El Salvador Caldera (updated and reposted)

Ilopango Caldera

 

Update, Aug. 2019:

In the five years since this was first posted, science continues to grind away, answering a few questions which in turn create a bunch more questions.  The Baillie tree ring / ice core team is increasingly of the opinion that the 535 – 540 AD global cooldown was caused by huge volcanic eruptions, at least two of them bracketing the period.  A team including Robert A Dull published a paper August 16 entitled “Radiocarbon and geologic evidence reveal ilopango volcano as the source of the colossal ‘mystery’ eruption of 539/40 CE” that appears to nicely define the most recent end of that bracket.

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Simushir Island. Volcanoes named on the image. Photo courtesy Japan Space ASTER, Oct. 2004.

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Tavurvur eruption in Rabaul Caldera. Image courtesy Mountain Forecast.com. https://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Rabaul-caldera

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Historically Active Volcanoes of Alaska. Image courtesy AVO. https://avo.alaska.edu/images/dbimages/display/1258656665_ak6.jpg

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Nisyros: Caldera view from above Nikia village.

So far, when I wrote about volcanoes around the world, I could only dream of ever visiting them. Researching for my first Nisyros post, though, it occurred to me that the idea of a short holiday there was not entirely out-of-bounds. It didn’t take long and I had convinced daughter & granddaughter to come with me. We travelled to Nisyros in October, and, what can I say – it was a wonderful, if too short a holiday! Here are some impressions, thoughts and photos from our visit.

The Ugashik – Peulik Volcanic Center, Alaska

Mount Peulik with the Ukinrek Maars in the foreground. Phot courtesy Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aerial_view_of_mountain_Peulik_ukinrek_maars.jpg

Recent Volcanic Activity in Nevada, USA – Part 2

Mud Springs volcano, Aurora – Bodie volcanic field. Lava flow is andesitic. Photo courtesy NASA Earth Observatory. https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=50493

Tin Can Island – Niuafo’ou Caldera, Tonga

Satellite photo of Niuafo’ou Volcano. Google Maps screen capture