Nicaragua’s Momotombo volcano erupts... A no go for the new canal?

Nicaragua’s Momotombo volcano erupts for 1st time in 110 yrs (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)

Published time: 3 Dec, 2015 15:44

Get short URL

Lava flows from the Momotombo volcano during an eruption as seen from Papalonal village, Nicaragua, December 2, 2015. © Reuters

1341

Nicaragua's landmark Momotobo volcano has erupted for the first time in 110 years, spitting lava and sending plumes of smoke into the sky to the delight of social media users worldwide.

The last time the volcano erupted was in 1905, and up until then it was one of the most active volcanoes in the country, producing 10 eruptions between 1849 and 1905.

As long ago as 1610, an eruption by Momotombo forced the inhabitants of nearby León, the then-capital, to relocate about 30 miles west.

In 2007, the hydrothermal system in Momotombo’s summit crater began to heat up, so this latest eruption may well be a result of nearly 10 years of magmatic activity.

READ MORE Colima volcano erupts spectacularly in Mexico (VIDEOS)