Acatenango Volcano
Updated: Apr 26, 2025 10:15 GMT -
Stratovolcano
Guatemala, 14.5°N / -90.88°W 
Summit height: 3976 m / 13,044 ft
Current status: normal or dormant (1 out of 5)
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Acatenango volcano eruptions: 1972
Latest nearby earthquakes
| Date and Time | Mag / Depth | Distance / Location | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Background
Acatenango, along with its twin volcano to the south, Volcán Fuego, overlooks the historic former capital city of Antigua, Guatemala. Acatenango, which has two principal summits, was constructed during three eruptive periods post-dating the roughly 85,000-year-old Los Chocoyos tephra from Atitlán caldera. An ancestral Acatenango volcano collapsed to the south sometime prior to 43,000 years ago, forming La Democracia debris-avalanche deposit, which covers a wide area of the Pacific coastal plain. Construction of Yepocapa, the northern summit of Acatenango, was completed about 20,000 years ago, after which growth of the southern and highest cone, Pico Central (also known as Pico Mayor), began. The first well-documented eruptions of Acatenango took place from 1924 to 1927, although earlier historical eruptions may have occurred. Francisco Vasquez, writing in 1690, noted that in 1661 a volcano that lay aside of Fuego "opened a smoking mouth and still gives off smoke from another three, but without noise."---
Smithsonian / GVP volcano information
Acatenango Volcano Photos
Hiking up Acatenango volcano, Guatemala (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)
Trees in the fog on Acatenango (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)
Fuego from Acatenango in Guatemala on 28 March 2015. Between 1 and 2 am there were eruptions every 5 minutes. IMG_8320aaa (Photo: leos.kohout)
Forest and fog on Acatenango (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)
Significant volcanic eruptions: Acatenango volcano
In the past 10,000 years, Acatenango has had at least 8 confirmed volcanic eruptions, out of which 3 are documented by historical records, while the others can be inferred from geological evidence.
The table below lists all known eruptions (date in bold face) of Acatenango volcano in historic times and during the past 10,000 years. Updates on the most recent volcanic activity of Acatenango can be found on the news page of Acatenango volcano.
| Date | Note | VEI | Deaths | Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pico Central-Yepocapa saddle Historical obs./docs. | 1 | ||||
| Pico Central Historical obs./docs. | 2 | ||||
| North slope of Pico Central Historical obs./docs. | 3 | ||||
| ? | |||||
| Pico Central | ? | ||||
| Pico Central | ? | ||||
| Pico Central | ? | ||||
| Yepocapa | ? | ||||
Remark:
Our list of volcanic eruptions closely follows the database of eruptions of the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Project (GVP), the internationally most recognized data source for volcanic eruptions, but also includes significant eruptive episodes or related volcano events. "Volcanic eruptions" are usually to be understood as sequences of individual eruptive episodes that can follow each other, or even overlap (if several vents are involved), and can last many years, decades or even longer. For example, the current activity of Stromboli volcano is understood as a single eruption that has been ongoing since 1934.
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Volcanic Eruptions Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K | Global Volcanism Project / Smithsonian Institution
Acatenango Volcano FAQ
+When was the last eruption of Acatenango volcano?
The last confirmed eruption of Acatenango occurred in 1972.
+How often does Acatenango volcano erupt?
Since 1924, Acatenango volcano has had at least 3 historically documented eruptions. This means that it erupts on average every 33.7 years.
Many eruptions of Acatenango have lasted more than one year. In total, the volcano has been in eruption during 5 out of 101 years until now. In other words, Acatenango has been active at least one in 20.2 years on average. Note that this value is likely an underestimate, because the known history of eruptions from Acatenango is likely incomplete, especially further back in time.
+How active is Acatenango volcano at present?
Acatenango volcano is occasionally active: Since 1900, it has had 5 eruptions, and been active during 5 years out of 126 as of now. This means, Acatenango has been in eruption one in 25.2 years on average. The last eruption was in 1972 and ended 52 years ago.
+When was the largest eruption of Acatenango volcano?
The largest eruption of Acatenango volcano in historic times occurred during 1924 - 1925. It ranks as a "vulcanian" eruption with a magnitude 3 on the VEI (Volcanic Explosivity Index) scale.
Latest satellite images
Acatenango Volcano Maps
Below is a selection of maps showing the location and surroundings of the volcano at various resolutions based on aerial-imagery / terrain maps. Feel free to use them for non-commercial purposes on your blog or website as long as you credit them with a link back to this page (click to copy it).
Satellite/aerial-type map of Acatenango volcano (world scale)
Terrain-type map of Acatenango volcano (world scale)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Acatenango volcano (region scale large)
Terrain-type map of Acatenango volcano (region scale large)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Acatenango volcano (region scale medium)
Terrain-type map of Acatenango volcano (region scale medium)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Acatenango volcano (region scale small)
Terrain-type map of Acatenango volcano (region scale small)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Acatenango volcano (local scale large)
Terrain-type map of Acatenango volcano (local scale large)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Acatenango volcano (local scale medium)
Terrain-type map of Acatenango volcano (local scale medium)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Acatenango volcano (local scale small)
Terrain-type map of Acatenango volcano (local scale small)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Acatenango volcano (scale of 10s of km)
Terrain-type map of Acatenango volcano (scale of 10s of km)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Acatenango volcano (scale of 20-40 km)
Terrain-type map of Acatenango volcano (scale of 20-40 km)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Acatenango volcano (scale of approx. 10-20 km)
Terrain-type map of Acatenango volcano (scale of approx. 10-20 km)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Acatenango volcano (scale of 5-10 km)
Satellite/aerial-type map of Acatenango volcano (scale of few kilometers)
