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Cotopaxi

One of the World's Highest and Most Dangerous Active Volcanoes

Elevation

5,911 m

Last Eruption

2023

Type

Stratovolcano

Country

Ecuador

Location

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Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment

Primary Hazards

  • Pyroclastic flows
  • Lava flows
  • Volcanic bombs and ballistics
  • Lahars and mudflows

Risk Level

Population at RiskLow
Infrastructure RiskHigh
Aviation RiskSignificant

Geological Composition & Structure

Rock Types

Primary
Unknown
Silica Content
Varied composition

Tectonic Setting

Unknown
Intraplate setting with hotspot or regional volcanic activity.

Age & Formation

Epoch
Unknown
Evidence
Unknown

Eruption Statistics & Analysis

MetricValueGlobal RankingSignificance
Total Recorded EruptionsUnknownLowModerately active volcano
Maximum VEIVEI UnknownMinorLocal impact potential
Recent Activity3 years agoVery RecentCurrently active

Monitoring & Alert Status

Monitoring Networks

Global Volcanism Program
International eruption database

Current Status

Active
Recent volcanic activity detected. Continuous monitoring in place.

Authority Sources

Smithsonian GVP
Official volcano database

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Cotopaxi Province, Central Highlands
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Interesting Facts

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Cotopaxi's 86 confirmed eruptions make it one of the most prolific volcanoes in the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program database and the most frequently erupting major stratovolcano in South America.

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The 1877 eruption generated lahars that traveled over 100 km in multiple directions, reaching both the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Amazon basin to the east — a total drainage footprint spanning nearly the entire width of Ecuador.

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At 5,911 m (19,393 ft), Cotopaxi is one of the highest active volcanoes in the world and the second-highest summit in Ecuador after Chimborazo (6,263 m).

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Approximately 300,000 people now live in Cotopaxi's officially designated lahar hazard zones, including parts of the southern metropolitan area of Quito — a population that has grown enormously since the last catastrophic lahars in 1877.

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Alexander von Humboldt attempted to climb Cotopaxi in 1802, reaching approximately 4,500 m; he coined the term 'Avenue of the Volcanoes' for Ecuador's Inter-Andean volcanic corridor.

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Cotopaxi erupted on November 15, 1532 — almost exactly coinciding with Francisco Pizarro's arrival in Ecuador and the fall of the Inca Empire.

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Seven of Cotopaxi's eruptions reached VEI 5 during the prehistoric period — a level of explosive violence 10 times greater than anything observed in its recorded historical eruptions.

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The summit glacier, covering approximately 14 km², is both an icon and a threat: it provides the water mass that, when melted by pyroclastic flows, generates Cotopaxi's catastrophic lahars.

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During the intense 1844–1886 period, Cotopaxi erupted at least 23 times — nearly once every two years for four decades.

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Cotopaxi National Park, established in 1975, encompasses 33,393 hectares of Andean paramo ecosystem between 3,400 and 5,911 m elevation.

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Lahars from the 1877 eruption arrived in the town of Latacunga, 30 km away, in approximately 30 minutes — traveling at speeds exceeding 60 km/h.

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The first confirmed summit of Cotopaxi was achieved on November 28, 1872, by German geologist Wilhelm Reiss and Colombian botanist Ángel Escobar.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cotopaxi an active volcano?
Yes, Cotopaxi is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. With 86 confirmed eruptions spanning nearly 10,000 years, it has one of the longest and most prolific eruption records of any stratovolcano on Earth. Cotopaxi most recently erupted from October 2022 into January 2023, preceded by an earlier eruption in 2015–2016 that ended a 73-year quiet period. The volcano is continuously monitored by Ecuador's Instituto Geofísico (IG-EPN) and currently exhibits low-level unrest including minor seismicity and degassing. Scientists consider future eruptions not just possible but probable, and Ecuador maintains active lahar early warning systems and evacuation plans for the approximately 300,000 people living in hazard zones.
When did Cotopaxi last erupt?
Cotopaxi's most recent eruption began on October 21, 2022, with elevated volcanic tremor and gas emissions, escalating to ash venting from the summit crater. Activity continued intermittently into January 2023 at VEI 2 (low-intensity) levels, with ash columns reaching several kilometers above the summit and light ashfall affecting downwind communities. Prior to this, Cotopaxi had erupted from August 2015 through early 2016, also at VEI 2. Both eruptions were relatively minor compared to Cotopaxi's destructive historical eruptions (VEI 4 events in 1744, 1768, and 1877), but they ended a long quiet period and demonstrated that the volcano's plumbing system remains active.
How tall is Cotopaxi?
Cotopaxi rises to 5,911 m (19,393 ft) above sea level, making it one of the highest active volcanoes in the world and the second-highest summit in Ecuador after the extinct Chimborazo (6,263 m / 20,549 ft). The volcano's base sits at approximately 3,800 m in the Inter-Andean Valley, so the cone itself rises about 2,100 m above its surroundings. Despite its extreme altitude, Cotopaxi's near-equatorial location (0.677°S latitude) means it carries a smaller glacier than similarly elevated volcanoes at higher latitudes. The summit is covered by a glacial ice cap of approximately 14 km², which has been retreating due to climate change and volcanic heat.
Can you climb Cotopaxi?
Yes, Cotopaxi is one of the most popular high-altitude mountaineering objectives in South America. The standard route from the José Rivas refuge at 4,800 m to the 5,911 m summit is a glacier climb requiring crampons, ice axes, ropes, and experienced guides (legally required in Ecuador). Most attempts begin around midnight, ascending through the night to summit at dawn. The climb takes approximately 6–8 hours up and 2–3 hours down. Proper acclimatization (at least 2–3 days at Quito's 2,850 m elevation) is essential. Access may be restricted during volcanic unrest — the park was closed during the 2015 and 2022–2023 eruptions. The best climbing windows are December–January and June–September.
What would happen if Cotopaxi had a major eruption today?
A major eruption (VEI 4, comparable to 1877) would be catastrophic for central Ecuador. Pyroclastic flows would melt portions of the summit glacier, generating massive lahars — volcanic mudflows — that would race down radial valleys at speeds exceeding 60 km/h. Lahars would reach Latacunga (30 km south, population ~100,000) in approximately 30 minutes and could extend into the southern suburbs of Quito within 45 minutes via the Río Pita drainage. Approximately 300,000 people live in lahar hazard zones. Heavy ashfall would disrupt Quito's airport, contaminate water supplies, and devastate agriculture. Ecuador has lahar early warning systems and evacuation plans, but the logistical challenges of evacuating hundreds of thousands of people in mountainous terrain would be immense.
Why is Cotopaxi so dangerous?
Cotopaxi's exceptional danger stems from a lethal combination of factors. First, it is an explosively active stratovolcano with a demonstrated history of VEI 4–5 eruptions and an eruption frequency among the highest in the world (86 eruptions in ~10,000 years). Second, its summit is capped by approximately 14 km² of glacial ice, which melts catastrophically when contacted by pyroclastic flows, generating lahars that can travel over 100 km at speeds exceeding 60 km/h. Third, approximately 300,000 people live in its lahar hazard zones, including parts of metropolitan Quito. Fourth, the mountainous terrain with limited road networks makes rapid evacuation extremely challenging. This combination of explosive activity, glacier-lahar coupling, and dense downstream population makes Cotopaxi one of the most dangerous volcanoes on the planet.
How often does Cotopaxi erupt?
Cotopaxi has erupted 86 times in approximately 10,000 years, averaging roughly one eruption per 115 years across its full record. However, eruptions are highly clustered in time. During the extraordinarily active 18th and 19th centuries, Cotopaxi erupted over 50 times — nearly once every three years between 1742 and 1907. The 20th century was comparatively quiet (5 eruptions, the last uncertain in 1942), followed by a 73-year pause before the 2015 reawakening. The current pattern of renewed unrest (eruptions in 2015 and 2022) may signal the beginning of a new active period, though whether it will approach the intensity of the 1800s remains uncertain.
What is the closest city to Cotopaxi?
The closest significant city to Cotopaxi is Latacunga, the capital of Cotopaxi Province, located approximately 30 km (19 mi) north-northwest of the summit with a population of roughly 100,000. Latacunga sits directly in the path of lahars flowing northward from the volcano and has been destroyed by Cotopaxi lahars three times in recorded history (1744, 1768, and 1877). The national capital, Quito (population ~2.8 million), is approximately 50 km (31 mi) to the north, with its southern suburbs extending into lahar hazard zones via the Río Pita valley.
What does the name Cotopaxi mean?
The name 'Cotopaxi' comes from the Kichwa (Quechua) language, though its exact meaning is debated among linguists and historians. The most widely accepted interpretation is 'Neck of the Moon,' derived from koto (neck or throat) and paksi (moon), possibly describing how moonlight illuminates the glacier-capped summit. Other proposed translations include 'Shining Peak' and 'Smooth Neck of Silver.' The name was recorded in various spellings by Spanish colonial chroniclers and was standardized in its current form largely through Alexander von Humboldt's influential 1802 accounts of his South American expeditions.
Is Cotopaxi the tallest active volcano in the world?
No, but Cotopaxi is among the tallest. At 5,911 m (19,393 ft), it ranks as one of the highest active volcanoes on Earth, but the title of tallest active volcano belongs to Ojos del Salado on the Chile-Argentina border at 6,893 m (22,615 ft) — though its last eruption was approximately 1,000–1,500 years ago and its 'active' status is debated. Llullaillaco (6,739 m), also on the Chile-Argentina border, last erupted in 1877. Among unambiguously active volcanoes with eruptions in the past century, Cotopaxi is indeed one of the very highest, rivaled by Popocatépetl in Mexico at 5,393 m.