Tenorio Volcano () is an inactive andesitic stratovolcano in the southeasternmost part of the Cordillera de Guanacaste volcanic mountain range in northwestern Costa Rica. It is the main geographical feature of the eponymous Tenorio Volcano National Park.
Geology It is composed of four volcanic peaks and twin craters Tenorio and Montezuma. The formation occupies .
Tenorio, the principal peak, has three craters in the central cone, while Montezuma, to the north, has two. Tenorio's summit is high, while Montezuma's is . Lava flows descend to the northeast from Tenorio's northwestern-to-southwestern flank. The Biguana lava domes lie on the northern flank at . The volcanic cones Cerro Barrera and Olla de Carne are at elevations of and , respectively. The southeastern flank features a number of small, inactive parasitic cones.
There are no known eruptions during the Holocene epoch (about 11,700 years ago to the present). Weak earthquakes were detected in 1997 and 1998, the latter consisting of 170 with magnitudes ranging from 0.9 to 3.3.
Feasibility of geothermal power generation The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (Costa Rican Institute of Electricity) conducted an evaluation of the country's geothermal resources between November 1987 and October 1988; Tenorio was selected as one of three high-priority areas. In 1999–2000, two exploratory wells were dug to evaluate its potential as a source of geothermal power, with disappointing results.
References