Cotopaxi Volcano Eruption

Background. Cotopaxi is an active stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located in Cotopaxi National Park in Cotopaxi Province, roughly 50 km south of Quito and 31 km northeast of Latacunga, Ecuador. It ranks among the highest active volcanoes in the world and, with 87 known eruptions, is one of Ecuador's most active.

The 1768 Eruption. Cotopaxi's most violent eruptions in historical times occurred in 1742, 1744, 1768, and 1877, placing the 1768 event among the volcano's most severe. The 1744 and 1768 events destroyed the colonial town of Latacunga, and the city is recorded as having been destroyed at least twice, in 1768 and 1877, by lahars caused by volcanic activity.

Impact on Nearby Towns. Latacunga, situated in the south valley of Cotopaxi, suffered destruction from lahars generated by the volcanic activity, consistent with the hazard posed when eruptions flash-melt the summit glacier and send lahars down the volcano's flanks. A legacy record additionally reports that the eruption covered the towns of Hambato and Tacunga with ash without causing fatalities, but no supplied passage corroborates this claim.