MVP #1: Concepcion, Nicaragua

The first Mystery Volcano Photo (MVP, for short) seem to go well and indeed, the volcano in question was Concepcion in Nicaragua. Congratulations to volcanista for nailing it on the first try. I’ll have to keep a tally of the winners for each MVP to name a, well, MVP MVP. So far, the scoresheet looks like that.

Volcanista – 1

All the rest of yous – 0

I think we know who has the upper hand.

Volcan Concepcion on Isla Omtepe in Nicaragua.

Anyway, Concepcion! The volcano is a stratovolcano on the island of Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua, which it shares with Madera, another active stratocone. It is one of Nicaragua’s most active volcanoes, although it hasn’t erupted since 2007. As with many volcanoes that erupt frequently, the Concepcion’s eruptions are small explosive (likely Strombolian) events that register in the VEI 1 and 2 range. In fact, there is no historical record of any event larger than a VEI 2 eruption for Concepcion, although the volcano itself is built on a buried caldera. The biggest hazard, beyond ballistic objects and ash near the vent, is lahars that could affect the island of Ometepe. However, the volcano is active enough to have built most of the visible cone in the last ~150-200 years.

Look for another MVP later in the week!