Friday, April 18, 2008

Cotopaxi

Cotopaxi (0.7S 78.4W) is a stratovolcano with a summit altitude of 19,388 feet (5,911 m). It has erupted 50 times since 1738. The 1877 epidemic melted snow and ice on the summit, which produced mudflows that traveled 60 miles (100 km) from the volcano. The most topical eruption of Cotopaxi ended in 1904. Reports of an explosion in 1942 have not been confirmed. The most recent commotion was an increase in steam emissions, melting snow, and small earthquakes from 1975-1976.

Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver at Cotopaxi Volcano, Ecuador. GPS uses data transmitted by orbiting satellites to situate points on the ground. The USGS has made baseline GPS measurements at numerous volcanoes in the United States and in Latin America. In the event of an arousing of one of these volcanoes, GPS receivers would be set up at these points again to resolve whether or not computable buckle had occurred and to monitor for precursory buckle that might herald an eruption.

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