Slumbering Volcano Erupts for First Time in a Century
Nicaragua’s Momotombo spews fire and ash high into the air.
A quiet giant sleeps no more. This week, the Momotomo volcano in Nicaragua is erupting for the first time since 1905, spitting lava and a huge plume of ash and smoke over nearby Lake Managua. Schools have been closed in the area as a safety measure.
Momotomo has shown some minor seismic activity over the past decade but has otherwise been quiet over the past century. In the early 1600s the volcano had a major eruption that caused the abandonment of the prominent city of Leon Viejo (Old Leon). The surviving residents moved about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west to establish the present-day city of Leon.
The volcano also erupted ten times between 1849 and 1905. (See more eruption photos.)