Cotopaxi

Cotopaxi is the second tallest mountain in Ecuador. It is a classic stratovolcano, and is almost perfectly round. Cotopaxi is debatably the highest active volcano in the world. The mountain Llullaillaco in Argentina has a higher summit, but it’s activity has commonly been questioned. Cotopaxi has erupted more than 50 times in the last 300 years. One of the most famous eruptions of all time happened in 1534, when Spanish and Incan forces were fighting in the largest battle of that time. Cotopaxi erupted just after the fighting began, and caused both armies to retreat. Cotopaxi is a very serious threat to many settlements in the area. For example, if Cotopaxi erupted in the scale of its 1534 eruption, then most of the glaciars on it would melt. This would flow through the valley, eventually submersing Quito in ten feet of water. Cotopaxi National Park is Ecuador’s most visited mainland park. Around 30,000 hectares in size, it was founded in 1952.