Puracé (volcano)
| Puracé | ||
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| height | 4756 m | |
| location | Departamento del Cauca , Colombia | |
| Coordinates | 2 ° 18 '51 " N , 76 ° 23' 39" W | |
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| Type | Stratovolcano | |
| rock | Andesite | |
| Last eruption | 1977 | |
Mount Puracé is a 4756 m high, extremely active volcano ( twelve eruptions were observed in the 20th century alone ) in the area of the municipality of Puracé in the department of Cauca in Colombia in the Central Cordillera .
The Puracé is an andesitic stratovolcano . It is part of the Andean volcanic belt of the Pacific Ring of Fire . The volcano is located at the intersection of the Coconucos and Morras faults.
It is located 30 km southeast of Popayán in a national park named after him, which also includes the headwaters of four of the most important rivers in Colombia ( Río Magdalena , Río Cauca , Río Caquetá and Río Patía ).
Alexander von Humboldt climbed the mountain on November 18, 1801 on his trip to South America. There is a small place with the same name there.
Volcanic activity
The Puracé is one of the most active volcanoes in Colombia. Major explosive eruptions occurred in 1849, 1869, 1885, 1949, 1950, 1956, and 1957. There were about a dozen eruptions in the twentieth century, the last being in 1977. On that occasion, volcanic ash was deposited 7 kilometers away. In 1990, fumaroles were observed near the summit and hot springs emerged from some of the lower slopes.
flora
The predominant vegetation is assigned to the páramo . In the area of the park, endangered plant species such as the stone slice species Podocarpus oleifolius (also known as Colombian pine ), the oak and the Quindio wax palm are preserved.
fauna
Despite the cold climate of the Páramo, different species of birds can be found. Examples are the Caribbean caracara ( Caracara cheriway ), the velvet thrush ( Turdus serranus ) and the Andean condor ( Vultur gryphus ). In the forests around the hot springs of San Juan often found tanagers as Anisognathus lacrimosus and Anisognathus igniventris and hummingbirds of different species. Mammals such as the mountain tapir ( Tapirus pinchaque ) and the spectacled bear ( Tremarctos ornatus ) can also be found.
bibliography
- Garzón, Gustavo (1998), "Catálogo de Fuentes Termales del Suroccidente Colombiano", INGEOMINAS, San Juan de Pasto, 212 pp.
- Granados, Piedad Cecilia (1993), Coconuco Puracé. Richesse Ecologique pour le tourisme , Popayán.
- Martínez Andrade, Maritza (1992), Divulgación del proceso del azufre en la mina de Puracé , Popayán.
- Castillo León, Diego Francisco (1986), Monografía del municipio de Puracé , Popayán: Universidad del Cauca.
- Gutiérrez Yacumal, Consuelo (1989), Aspectos económicos y socioculturales de Coconuco , Popayán.
gallery
Panorama of the crater
Ascent to the summit
Vegetation of the Páramo
Web links
- Puracé (Vulkan) in the Global Volcanism Program of the Smithsonian Institution (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Puracé Volcano, Colombia - John Seach. Accessed February 26, 2019 .