High Above San Cristobal

12º 42' 18" N
87º 00' 18" W
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(c) 2012 Nicaragua News -- Click to enlarge

Fortunately, it appears that nobody was harmed in Saturday's eruption of the San Cristobal volcano in Nicaragua, though close to 3,000 people in neighboring rural areas of Chinandega were evacuated.

Moisture in the eruption's rapidly rising air condensed to form a cloud at the top of the plume, resembling lenticular clouds that can form under certain circumstances over mountain peaks that are not erupting.

As explained in the Line of Fire article on my Environmental Geography blog, San Cristobal is part of a line of fourteen active volcanoes that are found parallel to the Pacific coast in Nicaragua.Use the map below to find some of the others, and notice where they are relative to the narrow continental shelf.


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You can also use the coordinates at the top of this article to compare the location of San Cristobal to your own location. Finally, you can use my "Nicaragua Volcanoes" quiz to learn where each of Nicaragua's volcanoes is found in the lineup!

The latest information about active volcanoes in the United States and its territories can be found at volcanoes.usgs.gov. What state has the longest line of volcanoes?