Rincón de la Vieja
| Rincón de la Vieja | |
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Rincón de la Vieja volcano
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,916 m (6,286 ft) |
| Coordinates | 10°49′48″N 85°19′26″W / 10.83000°N 85.32389°WCoordinates: 10°49′48″N 85°19′26″W / 10.83000°N 85.32389°W |
| Geography | |
 Rincón de la Vieja
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| Location | Guanacaste, Costa Rica |
| Parent range | Cordillera de Guanacaste |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Complex volcano |
| Last eruption | March 2016-present |
Rincón de la Vieja (from Spanish, «Corner of the Old Woman») is an active andesitic complex volcano in north-western Costa Rica, about 25 km from Liberia, in the province of Guanacaste. Its name means "The Old Woman's Corner", a reference to a local legend about a girl whose lover was thrown into the crater by her father; she became a recluse living on the mountain, and was credited with powers of healing.
Rincón de la Vieja stands 1,916 metres (6,286 ft) above sea level, and its summit is the highest point in Rincón de la Vieja Volcano National Park. It erupted most recently in September 2011. The volcano has a large number of fumaroles and hot springs on its slopes. It is formed by felsic lava.
Rincón de la Vieja is one of six active Costa Rican volcanoes: the others are Poás, Irazú, Miravalles, Arenal, and Turrialba.
As of 2017, only Rincon de la vieja and Poas are considered active.
There are a large number of hot pools and areas of bubbling mud in two areas on the slopes of the volcano, indicating substantial reserves of geothermal energy. Investigations have been carried out into the feasibility of tapping these reserves, and the volcano is estimated to have a generating potential of 140 megawatts. However, as the area is protected within a national park, drilling was limited to test wells until 2001.
In 2013, the extension of the Las Pailas Geothermal Power Plant to 55 megawatt, financed in part by a credit from the European Investment Bank, was started.
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