85,000 years ago there was an enormous blast forming a "caldera" basin
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It is probably a hundred meters to the bottom of the
lake directly under this fisherman.

Lake Atitlan was formed in an immense volcanic explosion 85,000 years ago. Like Pompeii and Mt. St. Helen volcanic pressure was released with devastating results.

However the explosion here was much more destructive. The explosion at Mt. St. Helen released 2 cu. kilometers of rock and ash, Pompeii blew out 6 cu. kilometers. Atitlan discharged over 180 cu. kilometers of hot ash and rock.

The steep sides of the crater
continue deep underwater.

An immense hole was left in the earth's crust, leading to Atitlan being one of the world's deepest lakes.

One of the more interesting effects of the explosion is that deep, large fissures were formed, out of which the water flows. Atitlan is unique in that it is a fresh water lake with no river outlet.

Tens of thousands of years later three volcanos grew on the southern shore. 85,000 years ago it must have been horrendous. Everything died for thousands of kilometers around. An uglier sight is hard to imagine.

It is intriguing to think that out of such horror came the splendor we see today.

It drops off all the way to sea level on the back side of the volcanos.

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