Even with this history of activity, the eruption happening as of May 21 is particularly strong.
“It seems to me to be the strongest [Turrialba] eruption in the past six years,” volcanologist Gino Gonzalez told reporters at a press conference.
Turrialba is what’s known as a stratovolcano, a conical-shaped peak akin to Mount St. Helens in Washington State and Mount Etna in Italy. These are the deadliest volcanoes. When a stratovolcano explodes, toxic gases and hot volcanic fragments can race down the mountainside with hurricane force.
Turrialba is 10,960 feet (3,340 meters) tall and covers more than 190 square miles (500 square kilometers), making it one of Costa Rica’s most voluminous volcanoes. Tourists used to be able to hike into the main crater, but the trail has been closed for some time due to increased volcanic activity.
Follow Rachael Bale on Twitter.