MOUNT COTOPAXI

WHAT

• Cotopaxi is an active stratovolcano with an almost perfectly symmetrical cone.
• The area around the volcano has mostly been devastated by previous eruptions.

WHERE

• Cotopaxi is located in the Ecuadorian Andes in South America.

WHO

• In 2015, hundreds of people in surrounding areas were evacuated due to signs of volcanic activity.

WHEN

• Cotopaxi's most recent eruption was a minor one in 2015.
• One major eruption in 1877 had volcanic mudflows, or lahars, that traveled over 60 miles.

FACTS

• It reaches an elevation of 19,393 feet, making it the third tallest volcano in the world.
• It was considered "unclimbable" until William Reiss was able to reach the summit in 1872.