A Story About Sangay

A detailed look into one of the world's tallest and most active volcanoes

Introduction

Sangay is seen as a beacon of hope, like a lighthouse

Because of the mysteriousness of a volcano and before modern technology, the native people that witnessed an erupting volcano often came up with stories to try to comprehend what was happening. In Sangay’s case, the jungle surrounding the volcano was seen as a sea, which caused travelers to get lost in very often. Legend has it, just as that person was on the brink of despair, they would see Sangay’s smoke rising from its’ crater, just like a lighthouse showing the way at sea. The traveler would then be safely guided to safety. The moral of the story is that Sangay has been active for a long time and has served as a beacon of hope and direction pointer for many people. This volcano is just as active today as it was in 1934. 

Even today, Sangay is legendary to the people who live around it. The locals feel like it is a "familiar friend". Sangay is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Because of this, Sangay attracts a lot of visitors to the national park.

Where is Sangay?

Sangay is a volcano that is located in Ecuador, surrounded by a national park. Its' coordinates are 2°0′9″S 78°20′27″W.

See below for some fast facts about Sangay:

Image credit:  Wikipedia 

Causation of Sangay Volcano

This stratovolcano sits amongst a convergent boundary, which happens because of the Nazca Plate and the South American Plate. The two plates meet at the Peru-Chile Trench. This pressure is enormous, which causes Sangay to run the risk of material blasting out (creating pyroclastic flows at very fast speeds) anytime. 

As seen with the picture to the right, the Nazca Plate would be the oceanic plate and the South American Plate would be the continental plate. Because of being more dense, the Nazca Plate would subduct under the South American Plate. This would create a trench between the two plates (Peru-Chile Trench). As the Nazca Plate is melting under extreme heat and pressure, volcanoes would form right above as a spot to release the built-up pressure. These types of volcanoes can be very dangerous and unpredictable.

Happening Recently

Sangay has been  erupting nonstop since 1934 . However, lately, the volcano has been erupting more than normal. Starting March 2021, Sangay released much ash and caused surrounding areas to be affected.

As seen with below, all people surrounding Sangay are being affected. The dense ash can be disastrous for growing crops and rising livestock.

Simon Carn, a professor at Michigan Tech, tweets about the eruption:

Both of Simon Carn's maps show that Sangay is erupting (by showing the SO2 content and volcanic lightning).

Being a time that also happens to be during a global pandemic, Sangay's eruptions have created additional hazards to the surrounding populated areas. Sangay produces lots of gas and ash. Even though Sangay is surrounded by a national park (preserved area that is untouched by humans), the wind can still push the ash/gas in the wrong direction. According to the video below, Sangay's most recent eruption was especially hard because of the mix between the respiratory problems associated with COVID-19 and normal volcanic respiratory occurrences. See the video below for more information:

Ecuador: Sangay Volcano eruption wraps cities in ash, amid COVID19

Emergency Response Map for the Eruption of Sangay

This map (located below) was last updated 01/10/2020. Since Sangay is surrounded by a national park, humans aren't affected that much. However, there are lots of farmland by Sangay. Crops can be affected by Sangay's eruptions, which then affect the farmers who own the land. According to the map, over 114,228 ha of crops was affected by this particular eruption. The more impacted areas are categorized by the darker red color.

Image credit:  Relief Web 

Intensity of Eruptions

Powerful explosion in volcano Sangay Ecuador, [10.03.2021] VOLCANO ECUADOR

The way a volcano erupts is a big deal. Some eruptions are very peaceful and don't create a lot of grief to the surrounding land. However, there are some volcanoes that can cause a lot of damage. Even though Sangay only has an average VEI of 2, the volcano can still cause damage. As seen in the video to the right, the ash can cover everything. Ash will block out the sun, which would give the "night appearance" during the day.

However, today, the world sees Sangay’s eruptions categorized as being the Strombolian type (see below for more information), but the volcano is still monitored very closely for any sudden changes in its’ activities. The activity type has changed throughout the years, starting with its’ first eruption being recorded in 1628, which had a VEI of 3. Since then, Sangay has had 11 Holocene eruptive periods that have recorded VEI’s ranging from 1-3

Difference Between Eruptions of Volcanoes

Located below are the different classifications of eruptions. Each map accurately demonstrates the magnitude of each eruption. Sangay is classified as a Strombolian eruption, which is explosive (but not as bad as some volcanoes). Sangay does erupt frequently and can be dangerous.

Image credit:  Britannica 

Sangay National Park

Sangay, the volcano, is surrounded by a vast national park called Sangay National Park. This park is very special in that it houses one of the world's most active volcanoes, but also is home to a very unique ecosystem.

The vast landscape of the park | Image credit:  Wikipedia 

  • Glacier
  • Volcanic
  • Cloud forests
  • Amazon Rainforest
  • Wetlands
  • Lakes
  • Fragile moorlands (páramos)
  • Grasslands of the highlands

The park is over 270,000 hectares, which allows for many animals and plants to flourish. Some of the threatened animals include the Mountain Tapir and the Spectacled Bear (as seen below). 

Pictured to the left: Mountain Tapir | Pictured to the right: Spectacled Bear

This park is highly respected and known throughout the world. It is protected. According to UNESCO's website, "However, in 2005 a new management plan was adopted defining strategies for the restoration of the zones affected by the road, as well as developing participative management of the park in order to reduce conflicts over land use and the relationship between the local population and wildlife. Following this the park was removed from the List in of World Heritage in Danger. Many programmes have been implemented in order to improve management efficiency, develop participative community management and increase environmental education, among others"  (UNESCO) .

For more information on Sangay National Park, please visit the following website:

Personal Experiences During Eruption

Dr. Keith Barron:

An exploration geologist who happened to be in the area when Sangay was erupting more intensely.

Understanding how these geological systems work and watching them in action is the kind of thing that gives a seasoned geologist goose bumps! - Dr. Keith Barron

Dr. Keith Barron Witnesses Sangay Volcano Eruption

People in Ecuador:

Seeing a volcano erupt is a magnificent sight that most people wouldn't see in their lifetime. However, the few that do get to witness an eruption, make record of it, as seen with the following tweets from Twitter:

ENGLISH: One of the strong explosions from the #Sangay volcano, yesterday at 6:03 p.m.

ENGLISH: Impressive images and videos circulate of the ash fall emitted by the #Sangay volcano

Conclusion

It used to be said in the past that if a volcano was erupting, something bad happened on Earth to upset the balance in nature. An eruption was seen as a punishment towards humans for displeasing the gods. Standing over 5230 meters tall, Sangay can be very intimidating to anyone, especially being a stratovolcano that is almost unpredictable for its’ eruptions.

In a time where people did not have access to the truth as to why a volcano was erupting, legends became a way of trying to describe something that seemed impossible. Sangay was no exception in the world of folklore. It is a tall volcano that became a personal landmark for many people and served as a symbol for different cultures that were located around the volcano. Today, Sangay still brings the mysterious factor and serves a reminder that mother nature can never be 100% predictable. 

NOTE: All the pictures that were not officially cited (located underneath the picture) were used from Pixabay (https://pixabay.com/) and Pexels (https://www.pexels.com/), both free stock photo websites.

Sangay is seen as a beacon of hope, like a lighthouse

Image credit:  Wikipedia 

Image credit:  Relief Web 

Image credit:  Britannica 

The vast landscape of the park | Image credit:  Wikipedia