Discover 9 Amazing Fun Facts About the Santa Maria Volcano: Unraveling the Secrets of Nature

1. Pin the Tail on Santa Maria

In a catastrophic game of "Pin the Tail on the Volcano," Mother Nature got a little carried away with Santa Maria in 1902: This monstrous eruption tore a giant hole in the volcano's south flank, killed at least 5,000 people, blanketed Guatemala's skies for days, and even sent ash party crashing all the way to San Francisco, CA.
Source => geo.mtu.edu

2. 100-Year Tantrum

Meet Santa Maria, the Guatemalan volcano with a 100-year tantrum: Its youngest vent, Caliente, has been erupting since 1922. Now sporting a growing lava dome in its summit crater, Caliente begrudgingly treats onlookers to 40 daily explosions, ash plumes reaching 1 km high, and a 3.3 km long lava flow oozing down the San Isidro river.
Source => volcano.si.edu

Discover how Mauna Loa, the massive Hawaiian volcano, plays a real-life game of "hot lava" with its alternating eruption patterns since 1200 CE. Be amazed by nature's version of your favorite childhood pastime! 💥🌋✨

=> Fun Facts about Mauna-Loa

3. Floor Isn't Lava… Yet

Don't worry, the floor isn't lava... yet: Santa Maria's Santiaguito lava-dome complex has been erupting constantly since 1922, with frequent minor to moderate explosions, lava flows restricted to its flanks, and ash plumes ascending up to 4.3 km above the crater, accompanied by incandescence, block-and-ash flows, and lahars.
Source => volcano.si.edu

4. Santiaguito's Greatest Hits

If the Santa Maria Volcano's Santiaguito lava-dome complex were a rock band, its greatest hits album would include chart-toppers like "Explosions Galore," "Pyroclastic Groove," and "Ash Plume Boogaloo": It frequently undergoes explosions and pyroclastic flows, with ash plumes soaring up to 5 km and drifting a whopping 60 km downwind, leading to some unplanned gray makeovers for nearby communities such as San Marcos, Loma Linda, and Palajunoj.
Source => volcano.si.edu

5. Latte Trouble in 1902

It's safe to say that 1902 was a "latte trouble" for Guatemala's coffee crops: the monumental eruption of Santa Maria volcano that year not only blasted a 0.5 cubic km crater in the mountain's side but also released over 10 cubic km of materials, sadly claiming the lives of over 5,000 people and decimating most of the nation's treasured java beans.
Source => blogs.agu.org

6. Barista Volcano Brew

If you take life one sip at a time, you're in for a real treat with the coffee from Santa Maria: This Colombian volcano plays barista to some wildly acidic and deeply fruity java, all thanks to its high elevation and volcanic soil perfect for cultivating that java jive. In the Huila region, Santa Maria's volcanic brew is definitely a signature sip, with the 2021 harvest offering a taste of the unique flavors that make it a true fan-bean favorite.
Source => cityofsaintscoffee.com

7. Grandma Santa Maria's Cooking

If you think your long-standing grandma's cooking has stood the test of time, wait till you meet Santa Maria: an eruptive Guatemalan that's been cooking with fire since 1922! No kidding: This feisty volcano is one of the most active in Guatemala, and currently, the Caliente dome within the Santiaguito lava-dome complex is the life of the party, spewing lava flows, block avalanches, and ash plumes, all while being carefully watched by the vigilant Instituto Nacional de Sismologia, Vulcanologia, Meteorologia, e Hidrologia (INSIVUMEH) for the safety of nearby townsfolk.
Source => volcano.si.edu

8. Smokin' Hot Attraction

Holy smokes, Batman! We found the volcano that just keeps on giving: Santa Maria, an active volcano in Guatemala, has seen its Santiaguito lava-dome complex energetically erupting since the roaring '20s, with its youngest Caliente vent frequently spewing out block avalanches, explosions, and ash plumes that lava-la land on its western and southwestern flanks, making it a smokin' hot attraction for thrill-seeking volcanologists around the world.
Source => volcano.si.edu

9. Natural Snowglobe Shakes

It's no wonder the Santa Maria region never invests in snowglobes; the earth already provides an almost daily shake! Shake, Rattle, and Roll: This volcanic area experiences an average of 19 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4 or higher within a 186-mile range every year, with the strongest one in the past decade hitting a magnitude of 7.1 in 2019 just 170 miles east-northeast of Santa Maria.
Source => earthquakelist.org