Guagua Pichincha Volcanic Activity
Guagua Pichincha is one of the most active volcanoes of the western cordillera of the Andes, with countless eruptions in the past. Seismic swarms occur with regularity as well as fumaroles and sporadic emissions of gases and ash. West of the volcano there are fumaroles and thermal springs with temperatures exceeding 158 ° F (70° C). These springs are common around andesite volcanoes such as Guagua Pichincha. The thermal waters contain diverse mineral content and geothermal power exploration has been conducted over the area yet no geothermal energy is being used to generate power.
The volcanic activity of Guagua Pichincha can be seen in the formation of lava domes. Since the last major eruption in 1999, these domes built themselves up as other eight domes were destroyed. This eruption sent one big cloud of ash in the shape of a mushroom, 12.4 miles (20 Km.) high and was visible for two days after the eruption. Furthermore, lava was ejected and flowed down the breach in the crater wall toward the coast. Toward the east, where the city of Quito is located, the volcano ejected large amounts of ash. The ash caused severe air quality problems. The emergency room visits for respiratory conditions, especially in children, increased. Local schools and the international airport were forced to close, and the city of Quito faced a few days of chaos. |
Associated Danger and Impact to the Population
The dangers related to the Guagua Pichincha volcano eruptions are: the fall of ash on the city of Quito and the surrounding valleys; formation and destruction of domes inside of the caldera of the volcano; and production of explosive activity with pyroclastic flows, landslides or lahars (mudflow on the slopes of a volcano produced by the fall of ash mixed with heavy rains).
In addition to volcanic hazards, the city of Quito and other cities that settle along the Highlands are threatened by the occurrence of earthquakes. People of this part of the county have witnessed the significant damage of earthquakes. Ecuador’s central highland is elevated due to the two tectonic plates; continental and oceanic, pushing against each other. As a result the entire country lays in various geological faults. The compression between the tectonic plates creates stress on the faults, releasing earthquakes of high magnitude such as, six, seven or even magnitude eight earthquakes on the Richter scale. The city of Quito has a population of approximately 2,000,000 people and the center of the city is only 6 miles (15 Km) away from the volcano. Urban growth and management of the land is another potentially serious problem for the citizens of Quito that if combined with volcanic eruptions, can represent a serious hazard. “The population of Quito has quadrupled over the last 30 years. In 1960, the city had 330,000 inhabitants while today there are nearly 1,400,000 inhabitants” (Zevallos, 2004). In the last 30 years the city expanded its surface area by 40 times, and more people live on the mountainside. The city is long and narrow. There is not much more space for growth, except the northern and southern suburbs, which are outside of the city limits. The yearly rate of urban growth in this area is 17.5 %, this uncontrolled environmental management, combined with potential volcanic eruptions, represents a serious problem for the citizens of the city of Quito. The southern suburbs of Quito are protected from volcanic eruptions, to a degree because of a natural barrier of mountains such as Ungui and El Cinto, but there is no guarantee for the safety of people who decide to build their homes on the mountainside, since it is an area of high risk. Thus, local Municipalities must take action and should educate people, so they can be part of the solution and not the problem. |