ISAT 212 – ENERGY
ISSUES IN SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY
5
7
JMU-UCR
8
(Tentative WEEKENDS TRIPS)
5
1
6
3
UCR
2
1. Mirador Aserrí
5. Miravalles
2. Manuel Antonio
6. Cañas-Tilarán
3. Limón
7. Arenal
4. Puerto Viejo
8. Volcán Poás
4
VOLCAN POAS
Botos Lagoon is a filled-up crater in the Parque
Nacional Volcan Poas. Its deep blue waters
contrast with the dense tropical forest that
surround it, making it the perfect spot for the
stereotypical Indian sacrifice- throwing a young
maiden into the mouth of a crater or a lagoon.
Volcan Poas is one of the most visited
volcanoes in Costa Rica, because of its
proximity to San Jose and because of the
luxuriant forest that surrounds the two craters.
The park measures 5600 hectares, and this
basaltic volcano stands at an altitude of 2708
meters (8,200 feet) above sea level.
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ARENAL
Arenal is considered Costa Rica's most active volcano and has
been studied by seismologists for many years. Although the
activity nowadays is less damaging, you can still see ash
columns, underground rumbling, glowing orange lava flows and
sudden explosions on a daily base. With its perfect conical
shape it allows breathtaking views of volcanic action in the
summit. Almost every night the crater offers a spectacle of lights
with
its
explosive
eruptions.
The volcano is located in the northern zone of the country,
fifteen kilometers southwest of La Fortuna in San Carlos. The
temperature varies from 16 degrees Celsius (60,8 degrees
Fahrenheit) in the high areas to 24 degrees Celsius (75,2
degrees Fahrenheit) in the low areas and the annually rainfall is
around
5,000
mm
(195
inches).
The Arenal Volcano area is an important watershed for the
Arenal Lake Reservoir. Water from here is used for hydroelectric
power, with the purpose of satisfying the electricity demand of
the inter-connected national system and the Guanacaste
irrigation projects.
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ARENAL
HYDROELECTRIC PLANT
•
Costa Rica’s multiuse Proyecto de Riego ArenalTempisque (PRAT) scheme was developed
between 1975 and 1978 and is administrated by
the Servicio Nacional de Aguas Subterráneas,
Riego y Avenamiento (SENARA). PRAT channels
water from the Arenal Lake, which originally used
to flow down the Caribbean basin, towards the
Pacific basin through a hydroelectric complex of
three power plants built in cascade: Arenal,
Corobici, and Sandillal (ARCOSA), illustrated
above from left to right. Once the waters pass
through these facilities, they enter two irrigation
canals. Construction started on Arenal in 1974.
The plant has three 52.5-MW Fuji Francis turbines
driving Mitsubishi generators. Average annual
generation is about 640 GWh. Corobici is the
second of the three ARCOSA plants and has three
60-MW Mitsubishi Francis turbines with Hitachi
generators. The plant went into service in 1982
and supplies about 730 GWh/yr to the Costa Rican
grid. Sandillal is the last of three hydroelectric
plants in the scheme. The plant has two 16-MW
Kaplan turbines from Voest driving Siemens
generators. Construction on Sandillal started in
1987 and it went into operation in November 1992.
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Manuel Antonio
The most popular national park in Costa Rica, the
Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio is the most visited
park in the country. Created in 1972 and encompassing
an area of around 682 hectares, this park is among the
most diverse and beautiful places in the region.
Considered to be among the tiniest national parks in
Costa Rica, what this park lacks in size, it makes up for
in stunning natural beauty.
Combining gorgeous beaches with dense lush
rainforests, exotic animal and bird species and
exquisite coral reefs, the Manual Antonio National Park
lies in the lovely Puntarenas province along Costa
Rica’s Central Pacific Coast. Easily accessible by bus
or car from the capital city of San Jose, which lies only
140 km southwest of here, this park is also easy to get
to from Jaco, which sits just 69 km to the south. Seven
kilometers south of the town of Quepos and near an
excellent selection of resorts, hotels, accommodations
and restaurants, coming here promises a wonderful
adventure vacation for the entire family. With as many
as 150,000 visitors a year, you can also catch a short
20 minute flight here via Sansa airlines or Nature Air. .
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MIRAVALLES
The Miravalles area is continually
monitored, as some seismic activity
is taking place under and inside the
caldera. However, the last recorded
eruption of steam vents was in 1946.
Because the park contains a large
underground heated reservoir, it is
the site of a geothermal energy plant.
The hydrothermal field is a hot-water
dominated system, with a vapor
dominated cap (few tens of meters
thick) in some parts of the
geothermal field.
Primary cloud forest and rainforest
covers the park, which abounds with
flora and fauna species in multiple
life zones, innumerable rivers,
waterfalls and thermal hot springs.
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LIMON
1. Limón, Limón
2. Pococí, Guápiles
3. Siquirres, Siquirres
4. Talamanca, Bratsi
5. Matina, Matina
6. Guácimo, Guácimo
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PLANTA TERMICA MOIN
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REFINADORA RECOPE MOIN
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Location: In the mountains above
Aserrí,
south
of
San
José.
Directions for Taxi Driver: Del centro
de Aserrí, cuatro kilómetros sobre la
carretera a Tabarca.
At the Ram Luna Restaurant in the hills
above Aserrí, the food is authentic, the
atmosphere is elegant and the view is
breathtakingly amazing. Guests will feel
they have the stars at their feet as they
enjoy a deliciously authentic Costa
Rican dinner above a vast sea of lights
twinkling in the valley below.
The history of the popular Ram Luna
Restaurant began in May of 1967, when
a young newlywed couple named Gilbert
and Moraima Ramírez moved into a
small mountain cabin with a view and
dreamt of building a restaurant where
the atmosphere was classy and the food
delicious.
Today, the Ram Luna has become all
that and more. The elegant multilevel
building boasts a beautiful exterior view
and a classy interior where candles
warm the comfortable ambience. The
service is excellent and the food is
uniquely Costa Rican.
RAM LUNA
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CAÑAS
El canton de la amistad", is found in the northwest part of Costa Rica, in the Guanacaste
province, at the geographic coordinates given as 10 degrees 27 minutes and 04
seconds latitude north and 85 degrees 06 minutes and 06 seconds longitude west.
The maximum width is 61 kms, from 4400 mts. west of the top of the hill of Montezuma
to 2500 mts south of the dock at the Tempisque Ferry. The total area is about 682.2
square kms
.
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TILARAN
•
Gateway to Lake Arenal and the
Arenal Volcano, Tilaran is a
charming town that lies in the
northeastern
regions
of
Guanacaste province, close to the
border of Alajuela. Located along
the Pan American Highway some
4 km from Lake Arenal, Tilaran is
now fast becoming a key location
for adventures in and around the
lake area. A quaint little town 22
km from Canas, Tilaran is also a
major farming zone for coffee,
peanuts and macadamia nuts in
the region as well as for cattle and
horse ranching
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PUERTO VIEJO
This beach offers a very thick and
voluminous wave. This wave comes
from deep water over a shallow reef
that is called Salsa Barva. It is a right
reef break known for it's size and
power. The biggest waves in Costa
Rica break here when there is a
swell. The only way to paddle in and
out is through a small channel in the
reef, be sure and observe a local
paddle out before you do.