Cotopaxi Volcano

Cotopaxi is the largest of the volcanoes in Ecuador at 5,991 m. There is a good information page about the volcano here.

It is a large strato volcano, as seen in the digital elevation map (DEM).

I hope to be placed by the peace corps in Ecuador near this volcano because poses threats to Latacunga, a large town located at the base of the mountain, along with many rural villages that depend on the land and soils to make their livings.
The largest threat currently is the possibility of lahars. These destructive flows are an issue here, becase the mountain is glaciated, and increased activity could heat the ice enough to begin to melt it, and send large amounts of water down the hillside with mud and debris.
Volcanic eruptions are also a possibility here at Cotopaxi. Ash fall and pyroclastic flows could affect or devistate the villages and towns in the area. For these reasons, hazard mitigation and awareness are essential to the people in the vicinity of the volcano, and I would love to get to take part in the education and mitigation strategies for these people.