Barva Volcano is an

andesitic Andesite () is a volcanic rock of intermediate composition. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between silica-poor basalt and silica-rich rhyolite. It is fine-grained ( aphanitic) to porphyritic in texture, and is composed predomi ...

stratovolcano A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a conical volcano built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with a summit crater and p ...

complex in central Costa Rica, 22 km north of

San José San José or San Jose (Spanish for Saint Joseph) most often refers to: *San Jose, California, United States *San José, Costa Rica, the nation's capital San José or San Jose may also refer to: Places Argentina * San José, Buenos Aires ** San ...

, in

Heredia Province Heredia () is a province of Costa Rica. It is in the north-central part of the country. As a result, the province covers areas as diverse as the agriculture-rich Northern plains to the more metropolitan areas such as the city of Heredia in the ...

. On the eastern side of the mountain it has a lake in what was the volcanic crater, called "Laguna de Barva", and in the western side it has three hills on the top which are called "Las Tres Marías". It is located in the small agricultural community of

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

. Barva has several eruptive centres at its summit and many parasitic cones on its flanks. Its three principal summits visible from the Central Valley give it the common local name of ''Las Tres Marías'' (The Three Marys). Four

pyroclastic cone Volcanic cones are among the simplest volcanic landforms. They are built by ejecta from a volcanic vent, piling up around the vent in the shape of a cone with a central crater. Volcanic cones are of different types, depending upon the nature and ...

s are present within the 2 x 3 km

caldera A caldera ( ) is a large cauldron-like hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber in a volcano eruption. When large volumes of magma are erupted over a short time, structural support for the rock above the magma chamber ...

at the central and northwestern part of the summit. The southwestern peak contains four cones, one of which has a crater lake. The last confirmed eruptive activity at Barva Volcano has been dated to 8,050 years ago. There were reports of eruptions in the 1760s and in 1867, but investigations at the summit did not find evidence to confirm the reports.

References

Sources

Costa Rican National Seismological Network: Barva
() {{Central American volcanoes Stratovolcanoes of Costa Rica Mountains of Costa Rica Geography of Heredia Province