The post-caldera Cerro Pajita, Cerro Gaital, and Cerro Caracoral lava domes (seen left to right from La India Dormida on the western caldera rim) formed along an E-W trend about 900,000 years ago. The easternmost dome is Cerro Caracoral. Gabbro xenoliths are common in the central dome, Cerro Gaital. The Río Mar pyroclastic flows were produced about 40,000-50,000 years ago from a vent on the caldera floor between the Gaital and Pajita domes.

Photo by Paul Kimberly, 1998 (Smithsonian Institution).

This image is made available under the Public Domain Dedication CC0 license, but proper attribution is appreciated.

Keywords: lava dome | caldera

El Valle