Imbabura Volcano

Imbabura
Imbabura, with sugarcane fields in the foreground.
Highest point
Elevation	4,630 m (15,190 ft)
Prominence	1,519 m (4,984 ft)
Listing	Ultra
Coordinates	0°15′29″N 78°10′47″W / 0.25806°N 78.17972°W / 0.25806; -78.17972Coordinates: 0°15′29″N 78°10′47″W / 0.25806°N 78.17972°W / 0.25806; -78.17972
Geography
Imbabura Ecuador
Location	Imbabura Province, Ecuador
Parent range	Andes
Geology
Mountain type	Inactive stratovolcano
Last eruption	5550 BCE ± 500 years

Imbabura is an inactive stratovolcano in northern Ecuador. Although it has not erupted for at least 14,000 years, it is not thought to be extinct. Imbabura is intermittently capped with snow and has no permanent glaciers.

Covered in volcanic ash, the slopes of Imbabura are especially fertile. In addition to cloud forests, which are found across the northern Andes to an altitude of 3000 m, the land around Imbabura is extensively farmed. Maize, sugarcane, and beans are all staple crops of the region. Cattle are also an important commodity, and much of the land on and around Imbabura, especially the high-altitude meadows above the tree line, is used for grazing.

Imbabura is a volcano in the southern Ring of Fire. As the Nazca Plate is subducted beneath the South American Plate, the former melts with exposure to the hotter asthenosphere. This melted rock, which is less dense than the crust above it, rises to the surface. The result is an arc of volcanoes, which includes Imbabura, 100–300 km away from the subduction zone.

Imbabura is the product of Strombolian Eruptions, which, in comparison to Plinian Eruptions, are relatively low-intensity and low volume. They are generally characterized by the ejection of cinders, lapilli, and lava bombs, as well as the accumulation of dark tephra around the volcanic vent. This forms a cinder cone. Imbabura’s cone is relatively exposed from erosion and easy to identify.