Santamaria (volcano)

Santa María, Santiaguito
Santiaguito side cone from the summit of Santa María
Highest point
Elevation	3,772 m (12,375 ft)
Coordinates	14°45′20″N 91°33′06″W / 14.75556°N 91.55167°W / 14.75556; -91.55167Coordinates: 14°45′20″N 91°33′06″W / 14.75556°N 91.55167°W / 14.75556; -91.55167
Geography
Santa María, Santiaguito Guatemala
Location	Quetzaltenango Department, Guatemala
Parent range	Sierra Madre
Geology
Mountain type	Stratovolcano
Volcanic arc/belt	Central America Volcanic Arc
Last eruption	1922 to present

Santa María Volcano is a large active volcano in the western highlands of Guatemala, in the Quetzaltenango Department near the city of Quetzaltenango.

The volcano was known as Gagxanul in the local K'iche' language, before the 16th century Spanish Conquest of the region.

The VEI 6 eruption of Santa María Volcano in 1902 was one of the three largest eruptions of the 20th century, after the 1912 Novarupta and 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruptions. It is also oneand most likely 300) years.

Santa María Volcano is part of the Sierra Madre range of volcanoes, which extends along the western edge of Guatemala, separated from the Pacific Ocean by a broad plain. The volcanoes are formed by the subduction of the Cocos Plate under the Caribbean Plate, which led to the formation of the Central America Volcanic Arc.

Eruptions at Santa María are estimated to have begun about 30,000 years ago. For several thousand years, eruptions seem to have been small and frequent, building up the large cone of the volcano, reaching about 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) above the plain on which the nearby city of Quetzaltenango sits. Following the cone-building eruptions, activity seems to have changed to a pattern of long periods of repose followed by the emission of small lava flows from vents on the mountain.

The first eruption of Santa María in recorded history occurred in October 1902. Before 1902 the volcano had been dormant for at least 500 years and possibly several thousand years, but its awakening was clearly indicated by a seismic swarm in the region starting in January 1902, which included a major earthquake in April 1902. The eruption began on 24 October, and the largest explosions occurred over the following two days, ejecting an estimated 5.5 cubic kilometres (1.3 cu mi) of magma. The eruption was one of the largest of the 20th century, only slightly less in magnitude to that of Mount Pinatubo in 1991. The eruption had a VEI of 6, thus being 'Colossal'.