Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica is an active stratovolcano that has had a history of eruptions. The most recent period of activity lasted from 1968 to 2010¹². However, predicting the exact timing of future eruptions is challenging. Volcanologists use a variety of techniques to monitor volcanoes and try to anticipate eruptions, including detecting movement in the rocks that make up the volcano and in the earth's crust, measuring the gases that come out of the volcanic mountains, and even the angle of the slopes³.
Historically, Arenal Volcano has experienced small eruptions every 300-400 years and large eruptions every 600-800 years⁴. Given this pattern, it's possible that Arenal could erupt again in the future. However, since the last period of activity ended in 2010, the volcano has been relatively calm with only minor gas emissions².
It's important to note that while scientists can make educated predictions based on historical patterns and ongoing monitoring, they cannot predict with certainty when a volcano will erupt. If you're planning a visit to the area, it's a good idea to check the latest updates from local authorities or the Global Volcanism Program²..
Source:
(1) Arenal Volcano - Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arenal_Volcano.
(2) Global Volcanism Program | Arenal.
https://volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=345033.
(3) Can we predict when a volcano is going to erupt? - BBC Newsround.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/13880748.
(4) 2023 Guide to Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica.
https://jameskaiser.com/costa-rica-guide/parks/arenal-volcano/.
(5) To predict underwater volcano eruptions, scientist looks at images from ....
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/07/210708103617.htm.
(6) Getty Images.
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/tabacon-hot-springs-and-volcan-arenal-royalty-free-image/527974814.
