Cerro Negro
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cerro Negro | |
|---|---|
 Eruption of Cerro Negro in 1948 |
|
| Elevation | 728 metres (2,388 feet) |
| Location | León Department, Nicaragua |
| Range | Cordillera de los Maribios |
| Coordinates | |
| Type | Cinder cones |
| Last eruption | 1999 |
Cerro Negro is a volcano in the Cordillera de los Maribios mountain range in Nicaragua, about 10km from the village of Malpaisillo. It is a very new volcano, having first appeared in 1850. It consists of a gravelly cinder cone, which contrasts greatly with the surrounding verdant hillsides, and gives rise to its name, which means Black Hill.
Cerro Negro has erupted frequently since its first eruption. One unusual aspect of several eruptions has been the emission of ash from the top of the cone, while lava erupts from fractures at the base.
The most recent eruptions at Cerro Negro occurred in August 1999, although strong seismic activity was registered in early 2004. In 1998, an eruption was thought to have occurred shortly after the passage of Hurricane Mitch, but it later transpired that the copious amounts of steam seen rising from the volcano were caused by rainwater percolating through to hot lava from the 1995 eruption.
