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Throughout its prehistoric life it has had an activity mostly of the lava type, however much of the volcanic building is covered with layers of ash and mud flows of varying thickness that form the fertile soils of the area. It has about 400 ha of volcanic materials (it has erupted countless times between 1723 and 1965, giving rise to phenomena such as the well-known "ash and lapilli rain"). Deep gorges have been generated on the old lava flows, carved into the side walls of the main cone, and inside which a small lake is located, the remainder of a large water basin that has now disappeared; in addition, there is a large number of adventitious cones. The slopes are covered by stunted vegetation, interrupted by pebbles and rocks, through which springs of hot waters and sulfataras (water vapor, hydrogen and carbon dioxide at temperatures close to 1009 C) gush out.

Its craters located at a height of 3,432 mt, the Irazú forms, together with the Poás, the most visited volcanic ´´couple´´ in the country; and its popularity, accentuated by the recent active period, which began in 1963, is a magnet for Costa Ricans and foreigners to eagerly reach its peak. However, today, the Irazú ´´sleep soundly´´ after the innumerable problems that it caused, in more than half of Costa Rica, for several years. Because we Costa Ricans remember the name of Irazú very especially because of the ashes that hit both the countryside - with the ruin of many crops - and the cities, especially San José.







There were some eruptions in the period (1963-1965) that are the most remembered, when the ashes covered the Central Valley for some days and the visibility in broad daylight was so low that the vehicles had to turn on the lights to circulate.









It is located in the Central Volcanic Mountain Range 32 km from the city of Cartago.



Its skirts are relatively smooth to the south and west but strong to the north. The whole of the massif is prolonged with direction E. N. E. approximately. On the slopes of the volcano there are numerous dairy farms and it is also cultivated with dedication, especially potatoes.

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