The Volcanoes of Nicaragua Sure Have Been Cranky This Year

Momotombo volcano erupting in Papalonal community in La Paz Centro, Leon, Nicaragua on December 2, 2015. AFP/Getty Images Every year, there seems to be a country that is having more than its fair share of volcanic eruptions. This is the sort of thing that happens when you have a random distribution of volcanic eruptions over time (and space to some degree, along the areas that have volcanoes). This year, it is Nicaragua that seems to be the focus of eruptions---at least more so than usual. The biggest newsmaker is Momotombo, where the volcano has produced numerous explosive eruptions over the last few weeks, including some that have been quite spectacular (see above and below), sending ash as high as ~3.6 kilometers (12,000 feet). Some of the images of the eruption look downright Tolkienian, but really what is being seen in the night images is all the glowing volcanic debris covering ...