Nevado Cayambe is a massive volcanic complex in northern Ecuador, 60 km NE of the city of Quito and only 15 km E of the 20,000 inhabitants city of Cayambe. The equator passes through its southern flank. The andesitic-dacitic volcano is located on the isolated western edge of the Cordillera Real in the Ecuadorian Andes, east of the Inter-Andean Valley.
The volcano is capped by extensive glaciers, which descend to 4200 m on the eastern Amazonian side. It contains 2 summit lava domes located about 1.5 km apart, the western of which is the highest. Several other lava domes are located on the upper flanks and have been the source of pyroclastic flows down the lower flanks of the volcano.
La Virgen is a prominent young cinder cone on the lower eastern flank, which erupted thick andesitic lava flows that reached 10 km to the east.
There is only one confirmed historic eruption, during 1785-86, but recent studies have shown that the volcano has produced frequent explosive eruptions during the past 4000 years.
stratovolcano 5790 m / 18,996 ft
Ecuador, 0.03°N / -77.99°W
Current status:
normal or dormant (1 out of 5)
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ReportsCayambe volcano books
Cayambe volcano eruptions:
1785-86, 1700(?), 1590(?), 1570(?), 1440(?), 1290(?), 1270(?), 1040(?), 880(?), 260 AD (?), 200 AD (?), 170 AD (?), 10 AD (?), 180 BC (?), 230 BC (?), 260 BC (?), 460 BC, 510 BC (?), 560 BC (?), 1300 BC (?), 1650 BC (?), 1800 BC (?)
Typical eruption style:explosive
Last earthquakes nearby
Latest satellite images
Sentinel hub |
Landsat 8
Cayambe volcano news & activity updates:
Cayambe volcano Volcanic Ash Advisory: ERUPTION AT 01/1343Z TO FL220
Wednesday Aug 01, 2018 15:00 PM |
Volcanic Ash Advisory Center Washington (VAAC) issued the following report:
FVXX23 at 14:50 UTC, 01/08/18 from KNES
VA ADVISORY
DTG: 20180801/1448Z
VAAC: WASHINGTON
VOLCANO: CAYAMBE
352006
PSN: N0002 W07759
AREA: ECUADOR
SUMMIT ELEV: 18991 FT [5788
M]
ADVISORY NR: 2018/001
INFO SOURCE: GOES-EAST.
ERUPTION DETAILS:
ERUPTION AT 01/1343Z TO FL220
RMK: WE HAVE RECEIVED INFORMATION
SUGGESTING A
POSSIBLE VA EMISSION. WE WILL GATHER FURTHER
INFORMATION
AND ISSUE A FULL ADVISORY AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE.
NXT ADVISORY: AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE
Previous news
Wednesday, Dec 07, 2016
The volcano has become restless. Scientists from Ecuador's Institute of Geophysics (IGEPN) recorded an increased number of earthquakes under the volcano a new report shows. The increased seismicity could be (but not must be) a precursor of renewed activity in the medium-term future (weeks, months?). ...
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