Santiaguito

Santiaguito is an active lava dome complex in Quetzaltenango Department, Guatemala, made up of four separate domes: El Caliente, La Mitad, El Monje, and El Brujo. El Caliente shows the strongest activity right now, regularly sending out ash plumes and small pyroclastic flows, while the other domes remain mostly quiet and covered with thick vegetation.

The complex started growing in 1922 after Santa María erupted violently in 1902, ejecting around 8 cubic kilometers of magma. Since then, the eruption has remained continuously active, building up the four domes over the decades that now form the massif.

Indigenous communities in the region call the complex Gagxanul in the K'iche' language and weave its eruptions into their oral traditions. For people living in nearby villages, the occasional rumble and ashfall are part of daily life, so they have learned to adapt their farming activities around the constant presence of the active dome.

Visitors need to get permission from local authorities and hire certified guides to reach observation points where they can watch the small eruptions. The climb follows steep and sometimes loose trails, so sturdy footwear and good physical fitness are necessary.

The nearly continuous eruption activity for over 100 years ranks among the longest documented eruption sequences worldwide. Scientists often use the site to study volcanic processes in real time and improve forecasting models.