Bárcena Volcano
Barcena volcano forms the southern part and most significant feature of Isla San Benedicto, the 3rd largest and north-easternmost of the 4 Islas Revillagigedo islands about 350 km south of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California.
The volcano formed by eruptions during 1952-53 and consists in a 700 m wide and 330 m high tuff cone with a circular crater and a spectacular lava delta on the east side formed by a trachytic lava flow that breached the crater and entered the sea. The eruption was the first historic eruption witnessed in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
Bárcena volcano eruptions: 1952-1953
Latest nearby earthquakes
| Date and Time | Mag / Depth | Distance / Location | |||
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Background
San Benedicto island is a 4.5 km long NE-SW elongated island composed of several volcanic vents that have migrated SW over time. Pleistocene trachytic lava domes form the northern part, and historical Bárcena volcano and Montículo Cinerítico, a smaller tephra cone preceding Bárcena and largely covered by it, form the southern tip of the island.Montículo Cinerítico may also have been constructed during the past few hundred years and formed the high point of the island prior to the formation of Bárcena. The formation of Bárcena began in August 1952 and was accompanied by strong explosive eruptions and pyroclastic flows including radial base surges.
The eruption concluded the following year with the emplacement of two small lava domes in the crater and extrusion of a prominent coastal lava delta at the SE base of the cone.
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Source: GVP, Smithsonian Institution
Significant volcanic eruptions: Bárcena volcano
| Date | Note | VEI | Deaths | Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South end of Isla San Benedicto Historical obs./docs. | 3 | ||||
Eruptions of Bárcena volcano
Barcena volcano was born during 's only historic eruption which began on 1 August 1952, from the El Boquerón vent. The eruption began with powerful vulcanian explosions creating base surges, which were witnessed from a nearby fishing boat. Large amounts of ash and pumice quickly built a new cinder cone built at the southern end of the island. In the later stage of the eruption, a viscous lava dome and lava flow emerged from the crater in December and flew to the east and created a spectacular, perfectly half-circular lava delta, known as the "Delta Lavico". ...more info
Bárcena Volcano FAQ
+When was the last eruption of Bárcena volcano?
The last confirmed eruption of Bárcena occurred during 1952 - 1953.
+How often does Bárcena volcano erupt?
There are no known historic eruptions, but evidence from geologic records shows that it has had at least 1 eruptions over the past 10,000 years. This number is likely much higher because many past eruptions might not have left evidence recognizeable today and/or the volcano might not have been studied in too much detail. Using the available data, a very conservative estimate is that Bárcena volcano erupts every 10,000 years.
+How active is Bárcena volcano at present?
Bárcena volcano is occasionally active: Since 1900, it has had 2 eruptions, and been active during 2 years out of 126 as of now. This means, Bárcena has been in eruption one in 63 years on average. The last eruption was from 1952 until 1953 and ended 73 years ago.
+When was the largest eruption of Bárcena volcano?
The largest eruption of Bárcena volcano in historic times occurred during 1952 - 1953. It ranks as a "vulcanian" eruption with a magnitude 3 on the VEI (Volcanic Explosivity Index) scale.
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Bárcena Volcano Maps
