Geologic Background:
Acatenango, along with its twin volcano to the
south, Volcan Fuego, overlooks the historic former
capital city of Antigua Guatemala. Acatenango, which has
two principal summit, was constructed during three
eruptive periods post-dating the roughly 85,000 year old
Los Chocoyos tephra from Atitlan caldera. An ancestral
Acatenango volcano collapsed to the south, prior to the
formation of Fuego volcano, forming the La Democracia
debris-avalanche deposit, which covers a wide area of the
Pacific coastal plain. Construction of Yepocapa, the
northern summit of Acatenango, was completed about 20,000
years ago, after which growth of the southern and highest
cone, Pico Central (also known as Pico Mayor), began.
Historic Activity:
- The first well-documented eruptions of Acatenango
took place from 1924 to 1927, although earlier historical
eruptions may have occurred.
Recent Activity:
- In 1981 there was no visible fumarolic activity
around the summit, or in the explosion craters from the
volcano's last eruption in 1972.
Data Sources:
- Smithsonican SEAN Bulletin (V. 6, No. 3).
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