Santiaguito Lava Dome

This is Santiaguito lava dome as viewed from the summit of Santa Maria volcano. You can see that it has the classical shape of a lava dome, with a craggy top and flanks made up of broken rock (called talus)

Here is a small explosion taking place from the top of Santiaguito lava dome. This viewpoint from the summit of Santa Maria looking down onto an actively exploding lava dome is pretty unique (and fascinating).

This is a view from the southeast that allows you to see both Santa Maria volcano (right) and Santiaguito dome (left). In this photo Santiaguito has just emitted a small ash cloud. The cloud near the summit of Santa Maria is just a cloud. You can see how the southern side of Santa Maria was partially collapsed and scoured away by the big 1902 eruption, and it continues to erode away today because this is an area of very heavy rainfall.


To VolcanoWorld Types of Volcanoes