Azufral facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Azufral |
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| Volcán Azufral | |
Azufral in 1989
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 4,070 m (13,350 ft) |
| Listing | Volcanoes of Colombia |
| Geography | |
 Azufral
Location in Colombia
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| Location | Nariño Colombia |
| Parent range | Western Ranges Andes |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | Holocene |
| Mountain type | Stratovolcano |
| Volcanic arc/belt | Northern Volcanic Zone, Andean Volcanic Belt |
| Last eruption | 930 BC(?) |
Azufral is a cool stratovolcano found in southern Colombia. It's in the Nariño area, about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) west of Túquerres. This volcano is special because it's the only one in the Western Ranges of the Colombian Andes mountains.
The name "Azufral" comes from the Spanish word azufre, which means sulfur. Even though it's mostly quiet, you can still see lots of fumaroles (small vents releasing gas and steam) in its top crater. The very top of Azufral is super high, reaching 4,070 meters (13,353 feet) above sea level!
On the volcano's northwestern side, there's a beautiful, crescent-shaped lake called Laguna Verde. This means "Green Lake" in Spanish. It sits at 3,970 meters (13,025 feet) high. The lake is quite big, about 1,100 meters (0.68 miles) long and 600 meters (1,969 feet) wide. Its bright green color comes from the sulfur and iron minerals in the crater. There are also two other smaller lakes nearby: Laguna Negra (Black Lake) and Laguna Cristal (Crystal Lake).
Visiting Azufral Volcano
Azufral volcano is part of a special nature area called the Reserva Natural del Azufral. This reserve was created in 1990 to protect the area. It covers a huge space of about 5,800 hectares (22 square miles), and it's free to enter!
Since Azufral is considered "semi-dormant" (meaning it's mostly sleeping but not completely inactive), it's safe to visit. You can even climb up the volcano to see Laguna Verde. There's a road that goes almost all the way to the top, stopping about 1.5 kilometers (0.93 miles) from the summit. From there, you can walk the rest of the way on a trail. It's a great adventure for nature lovers!
Gallery
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Entrance to the reserve
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Beautiful landscape around Azufral
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Sulfur deposits near the volcano
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A view of Lagunas Negra and Verde
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Laguna Negra, one of the smaller lakes
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A wide view of the stunning Laguna Verde
See also
- For more information in Spanish, check out the Volcán Azufral page for kids on Kiddle.
- List of volcanoes in Colombia
- List of volcanoes by elevation
