Turrialbla Volcano
Spews Out Helium, Forces Closure Of Two
Schools
Experts of the Red Sismológica Nacional (RSN)
and the Observatorio Vulcanológico y
Sismológico de Costa Rica (OVSICORI) are
keeping a very close eye on the Turrialba
volcano activity with the increase in the
emanation of gases such as helium, sulphur
and carbon dioxide.
The experts like Jorge Andrés Díaz of the
Centro de Investigaciones de Ciencias
Atómicas y Nucleares de la UCR (Cicanum) -
Research Center of Atomic and Nuclear
Sciences at Universidad de Costa Rica - says
there have been important changes on the
behaviour of the colossus and as such has
decided to maintain the yellow alert
indefinitely.
Volcanologist Rolando Mora of the RSN
considers the information being gathered at
the Turrialba valuable.
Mora said that the volcano is continually
generating changing information that is the
subject of close analysis.
The Comisión Nacional de Emergencias (CNE) -
National Emergency Commission - continues a
yellow alert for the communities of Santa
Rosa, Santa Cruz, Capellados and Pacayas and
has ordered that the two schools news the
Turrialba volcano not be used for the
election vote on February 7 and the start of
the school year on February 10.
The director of the local emergency
committee, Sandra Sabdorío, said that the
schools La Central and La Pastora not be
used, forcing the relocation of some 60
students that normally attend the two
schools.
The experts haven't ruled out the presence
of lava in the volcano, but prefer not to
alarm the population by speaking on the
subject.
The Cicanum helium measurement is
reported to be a concentration of 20 parts
per million, short of the 30 ppm ever
measured at the volcano in the past
The measurements suggest the possibility of
a "magmatic intrusion", the rise of molten
rock into the earth's crust.
For the time being, experts continue
measuring gas emanations from the volcano
and flyby's and reluctant to speculate on
the possibility of an eruption despite
increased concentrations of helium in the
recent days.
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