Published: April 24,2015
The active Turrialba volcano, which sits approximately 31 miles from the capital city, spewed vapor and ash around 4 p.m. Tuesday, experts from the Volcanological and Seismological Observatory of Costa Rica (OVSICORI), told The Tico Times.
The explosions reached heights of 2 kilometers. Monday afternoon, two prior explosions occurred with heights close to 500 meters.
(MORE: Updates on Chile's Calbuco Volcano)
In March, the same volcano spewed vapor and ash three times in quick succession, the largest eruption in 20 years, Reuters reported. Nearby families were evacuated, and the airport also closed at that time.
All told, the volcano has been consistently active since October of last year, The Tico Times reported.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles to the south, a massive eruption of Chile's Calbuco volcano has prompted evacuations and local flight cancelations as well, Reuters reporters in that region say.
Wednesday into the early hours of Thursday morning, the active volcano spewed ash as high as six miles into the air, spurring Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to declare a state of emergency. Concerns over water contamination, as well as respiratory health effects are paramount.
Due to visibility issues from the ash cloud, several area airports were shuttered, as officials monitored the situation to see if it could impact flight patterns in nearby major cities, such as Santiago and Buenos Aires, as well.
"At the moment we don't forecast the ashes will reach Buenos Aires city, depending on whether or not there is a third eruption," Ignacio Lopez, a meteorologist at Argentina's national meteorology center, told Reuters. "So far … the meteorological conditions have been good, meaning the ashes are remaining suspended in the air.”
Reuters contacted airline officials in Santiago who said they are monitoring the situation, but as of this writing, flights into Chile's capital city remain on schedule.
MORE: Chile Calbuco Volcano Erupts
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