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Volcano Dossier•GVP #344100
11.98°N, 86.17°W
Erupted since 2000

Volcano Masaya

A caldera on the edge of Managua whose Santiago crater periodically holds a churning lava lake, visible at night from the rim. Spanish chroniclers called it the 'Mouth of Hell', and its gas plume is one of Central America's largest continuous sources of sulphur dioxide, damaging crops downwind.

Last eruption

2026

Erupted since 2000

Summit

0.6 km

Caldera · Basalt / Picro-Basalt

Activity

Normal Baseline

0 events (1.0x rate)

Interactive Volcano & Seismicity Map

Seismicity within 50 km radius, active VAAC ash plumes, and tectonic plate boundaries.

Recent seismicity within 50 km

0 events in the last 12 h within 25 km of the crater.

TimeMagnitudeEpicenter / PlaceDistance
16d agoM2.5NEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA (UNA)14 km
17d agoM2.9NEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA (INET)24 km
19d agoM2.7NICARAGUA (INET)8.5 km
19d agoM4.817 km S of Nandaime, Nicaragua45 km
20d agoM3.1NEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA (INET)38 km
24d agoM4.412 km N of Villa El Carmen, Nicaragua37 km
28d agoM3.2NEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA (INET)48 km
28d agoM2.8NEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA (INET)46 km
30d agoM2.5NICARAGUA (INET)8.7 km
42d agoM2.5NEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA (INET)24 km
43d agoM2.8NICARAGUA (INET)10 km
43d agoM3.5NEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA (UNA)43 km
46d agoM4.0NEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA (INET)49 km
51d agoM2.7NICARAGUA (INET)11 km
54d agoM2.5NEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA (INET)5.7 km
55d agoM2.5NEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA (UNA)11 km
58d agoM2.7NICARAGUA (INET)37 km
58d agoM2.5NEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA (INET)49 km
59d agoM3.6NEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA (INET)19 km
64d agoM2.6NEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA (INET)36 km
70d agoM2.6NICARAGUA (INET)12 km
75d agoM3.2NEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA (INET)47 km
75d agoM2.6NEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA (INET)50 km
75d agoM3.6NEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA (INET)48 km
78d agoM2.5NEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA (INET)47 km
79d agoM2.5NICARAGUA (INET)9.9 km
81d agoM3.8NEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA32 km
85d agoM2.8NEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA (INET)40 km

Geological & Tectonic Profile

Caldera

Masaya is an active Caldera formed in an active Subduction zone / Continental crust (> 25 km). Dominant lithology: Basalt / Picro-Basalt.

Edifice TypeCaldera
Major rockBasalt / Picro-Basalt
TectonicsSubduction zone
Volcanic ArcCentral America Volcanic Arc

Volcano Dossier

VN #344100

Official catalogue parameters, coordinates, elevation and geotectonic classification.

CountryNicaragua
Crater Coordinates11.984°, -86.169°
Summit0.6 km
SubregionCentral America Volcanic Arc
Catalog SourceSmithsonian GVP (#344100)

Authoritative Monitoring Infrastructure

All 18 Networks & VAAC →
Seismic ObservatoryGSN / FDSN
Global Seismographic Network & Regional Centers
Official Portal
ICAO Aviation Ash Center
ICAO Volcanic Ash Advisory Network
International Civil Aviation Organization
VAAC Advisory Desk
Swarm telemetry correlated across 18 networks against a 30-day baseline.Read Science & Physics →

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Verified scientific, operational, and emergency protocols

The most recent eruption of Masaya recorded by the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program was in 2026.

Catalogue: Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program.Smithsonian GVP profile