San Cristóbal volcano, one of the most dramatic landmarks in Nicaragua, rises to 1745 m above cotton fields on its southern flank. This 1975 view of the volcano, also known as El Viejo, shows a strong gas plume drifting down its western flank. Persistent fuming has released large amounts of sulfur dioxide, destroying forests on this side of the volcano; the gas plume was strong enough to corrode barbed wire. Lava flows and explosive activity have occurred from lateral vents as well as from the large summit crater.

Photo by Jaime Incer, 1975.

This image is made available under the Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0 license terms.

San Cristóbal