Rincón De La Vieja Volcano Erupts, Sending a Dense White Plume Over Costa Rica
A dense column of white plume rose from the crater of the Rincón de la Vieja volcano on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. Costa Rica's Volcanological and Seismological Observatory (OVSICORI-UNA) reported the eruption, in an account carried by La Nación. The plume began at 6:14 a.m. local time and rose for eight minutes in three main pulses. The volcano's activity level remains at a caution ("precaución") condition, OVSICORI-UNA said.
The crater is located on the border between Liberia, Guanacaste, and Upala, Alajuela.
On Sept. 30, 2026, OVSICORI-UNA scientists reported changes in the volcano's activity: a decline in the ratio of carbon dioxide to sulfur dioxide, which points to a relative rise in sulfur dioxide, and, from Sept. 1 to Sept. 28, 2026, a rapid uplift of the summit and an extension at the base of the volcano.
