Volcan de Agua in Guatemala
January 05, 2007
Provided by: Linda Bruce
Summary authors & editors: Linda Bruce
The photo above, from March 2003, shows a view of Volcán de Agua (3,765 m, or 12,352 ft) peering above Antigua, Guatemala from a distance of approximately 7 km (4.2 miles). Guatemala, a relatively small country in Central America, is home to hundreds of ancient volcanic vents and sites of past volcanic activity, although only 35 are officially recognized as volcanoes. Of these, Volcán de Agua is the fifth largest. Agua has not been active in the last 500 years; however, it does have the potential to produce watery flows of mud, rock and debris (lahars). In fact, a series of earthquakes in 1773 let loose the water from its crater, causing a flood and mudslides that destroyed much of the city of Antigua. Today, Antigua is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site well known for its colonial-style architecture.
Related Links: