Costa Rica's Turrialba Volcano Erupts Near San Jose

Costa Rica's Turrialba volcano remained active Wednesday but showed no signs of flowing lava, scientists said after monitoring the Central Valley area.

“In order for there to be magma close to the surface there must be deformations in the walls (of the volcano), changes in the chemistry of the gases, many tremors that force the magma upward, and at this time, the tremors are of another sort; not raising magma,” said Raúl Mora, geologist and volcanologist at the University of Costa Rica's National Seismological Network.

Disaster response teams evacuated residents and livestock from the area around Turrialba, after the 3,340-meter volcano began spewing ash Tuesday – an eruption not seen for more than 140 years. By Wednesday, 37 people had left their homes.

Turrialba is about 40 kilometers northeast of San Jose in Costa Rica's Central Valley. Residents reported seeing flurries of ash as far as neighborhoods on the capital city's edge like Curridabat, according to Mora, who added that light amounts of ash are not harmful. The highest concentration of ash fell within 12 km of the volcano.

Costa Rica emergency officials warned that contact with ash can be harmful particularly if inhaled by elderly, young children or people with respiratory disease.

Sigifredo Pérez, chief of operations at the National Emergency Commission (CNE), said 11 tourists had been staying at the Volcan Turrialba Lodge at the time of the eruption but all have evacuated. Pérez said these were the only known tourists in the area. Officials have closed the Turrialba Volcano National Park indefinitely.

CNE raised the alert Wednesday from green to yellow in the towns of Turrialba, Alvarado and Oreamuno. Yellow is the second of three warning levels meaning “take precaution,” said Pérez. An unidentified number of families chose to remain in their homes despite the warnings.

For months Costa Rica farmers have complained about Turrialba's volcanic activity. The gas emissions have harmed their crops and livestock, but some have continued living on the volcano's slope nevertheless.

Mora, who took part in the visit to Turrialba Wednesday, said the volcano may continue to act up until it has fully relieved long built-up tension.

“There's a lot of fear among the population of lava, because you always think of volcanoes like in Hawaii, as you see on television, and at this time we're very far from that kind of scenario,” said Mora.

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San Jose Guide:

San Jose, the Capital of Costa Rica, is the hub of all transportation in Costa Rica. For that reason, it is usually the first place you will visit while in Costa Rica. It lies between three Costa Rica volcanoes. There is a large variety of Costa Rica hotels, parks, restaurants and attractions for visitors. The first thing noticed about San Jose is the local friendliness. The city is set up on a pretty logical grid system. When on foot and touring the capital, Costa Ricans, also known as Ticos, are always willing to lend a hand with directions. Always remember though, locals use landmarks not street names for directions, and if you just can't figure out where you are, find a local church. Every church in Costa Rica faces west. While in the Capital, you have access to the best public transportation in all of Central America.  

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