Chato Volcano

Chato Volcano
Crater Lake of Cerro Chato
Elevation	1,140 m (3,740 ft)
Location
Chato Volcano Costa Rica
Range	Guanacaste Cordillera
Coordinates	10°26′31″N 84°41′17″W / 10.44194°N 84.68806°W / 10.44194; -84.68806Coordinates: 10°26′31″N 84°41′17″W / 10.44194°N 84.68806°W / 10.44194; -84.68806
Geology
Type	Stratovolcano
Last eruption	~3500 years ago

Chato Volcano, sometimes called "Cerro Chato" (Spanish for "Mount Chato"), is an inactive volcano in north-western Costa Rica north-west of San José, in the province of Alajuela, canton of San Carlos, and district of La Fortuna. It is southeast of the nearby Arenal Volcano

It is believed Chato first erupted 38,000 years ago during the Pleistocene period and last erupted about 3,500 years ago. One of the lava flows is now the route for La Fortuna Waterfall. The hill has two peaks, named Chatito and Espina. A crater about 500 metres (1,600 ft) wide is filled with a lagoon, Laguna Cerro Chato.

References

• Profile of Chato Volcano at Costa Rica's Seismic National Network
• Basic limnology of fifty-one lakes in Costa Rica (contains some information on Laguna Cerro Chato)
• "Arena". Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution. http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=1405-033.