- Status: Orange, but —
El nivel de actividad naranja 🔶 del VNR nos indica que debemos estar preparados para una posible erupción de magnitud considerable. Como existe la probabilidad de que el volcán alcance el nivel de actividad rojo, este es el momento de tomar medidas de prevención⛑️ pic.twitter.com/jRoZPkXZEG
— Servicio Geológico Colombiano (@sgcol) May 1, 2023
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
They don’t usually make such tweets daily. See May 1st 5:04 p.m. update below.
- Links to data and other information.
- Update archive.
Update, May 5, 3:38 p.m., Pacific: A new VAAC advisory:
Most Recent Advisory:
FVXX21 KNES 052140
VA ADVISORY
DTG: 20230505/2140Z
VAAC: WASHINGTON
VOLCANO: RUIZ 351020
PSN: N0453 W07519
AREA: COLOMBIA
SUMMIT ELEV: 17319 FT (5279 M)
ADVISORY NR: 2023/266
INFO SOURCE: GOES-16. VONA. WEBCAM. NWP MODELS.
ERUPTION DETAILS: NEW VA EMS
OBS VA DTG: 05/2110Z
OBS VA CLD: SFC/FL230 N0456 W07537 – N0454 W07519
– N0452 W07519 – N0450 W07537 – N0456 W07537 MOV
W 5KT
FCST VA CLD +6HR: 06/0300Z SFC/FL230 N0458 W07541
– N0454 W07518 – N0452 W07519 – N0450 W07541 –
N0458 W07541
FCST VA CLD +12HR: 06/0900Z NO VA EXP
FCST VA CLD +18HR: 06/1500Z NO VA EXP
RMK: VA DETECTED ON STLT MOVG W OF SUMMIT. VONA
CONFIRMS VA EMS. WEBCAM SHOWS SUMMIT OBSC BY WX
CLDS. NO CHG FCST TO MDL WINDS AT FL NXT 6 HR.
…KONON
NXT ADVISORY: WILL BE ISSUED BY 20230506/0345Z
The Volcanism Blog’s “How to Read a Volcanic Ash Advisory” (How I miss that blog, which was, along with Dr. Klemetti’s “Eruptions,” what got me blogging about volcanoes.)
The webicorder I’m following (for consistency; there are others) caught it:
Not “the show” but an impressive ash emission.
1:48 p.m., Pacific: Before getting to the update, I just want to share this video by someone who was overcome by Ruiz’ beauty: “¡Muy bonito!”
He might have been looking directly at the ice-capped mountain, instead of the view screen, but even with the shaky cam, he captured the sheer size of both this volcano and its glacier.
It is beautiful, but this view of Ruiz also underlines everyone’s concern: THAT mountain might go plinian at any moment and melt THAT glacier.
This video really gives us outsiders a feel for the size of a possible disaster here.
Of course, everyone in the area knows it very well.
On to the SGC update, Google Translated below this video by Jhon/VIDJCB, who is reading the update:
Now, from today’s SGC update, emphasis added by either SGC or me:
Yesterday, May 4, the seismic activity associated with rock fracturing inside the volcanic edifice increased in the number of registered earthquakes and in the seismic energy released, compared to the previous day (May 3). The seismicity was located mainly in the eastern-northeastern sector of the volcano, at distances between 2 and 5 km from the Arenas crater and in the crater itself, and to a lesser extent there were earthquakes in the southeastern sector. The depth of all recorded earthquakes ranged from 1 to 5 km. The earthquake registered yesterday at 03:14 p.m., of magnitude 2.2 and located approximately 4 km to the east-northeast of the crater, stands out, which was reported as felt in the sector of La Cabaña, municipality of Casabianca (Tolima).
On the other hand, the seismic activity related to the movement of fluids inside the volcanic conduits continues to predominate in the volcano. Yesterday, May 4, and so far today, this seismicity has presented a similar behavior in terms of the number of earthquakes and seismic energy released compared to the previous day (May 3). Some of the seismic signals associated with this type of seismicity have been related to pulsatile ash emissions confirmed through web cameras used for volcanic monitoring.
Regarding the degassing of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere and the release of water vapor from the crater, this continues to show variations. The maximum height of the column of gases and/or ash observed yesterday was 1400 m (in dispersion) measured from the top of the volcano. Regarding the direction of dispersion of the column, it had a preferential direction towards the northwestern sector of the volcano. Yesterday there was ash fall in the municipalities of Neira and Manizales (Caldas) and, during the course of this morning, we have received reports of ash fall in the municipalities of Villamaría and Manizales. Thermal anomalies continue to be observed at the bottom of the crater, and yesterday there were several reports from surface monitoring satellite platforms.
All these indicators ratify what the SGC has reiterated: the activity of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano continues to be highly unstable. It is possible that the levels of seismic activity, as well as the levels of degassing or ash output, decrease or be oscillating, in the sense of increasing on some days and decreasing on others. However, this does not imply that the volcano has returned to its normal levels of activity, so it is recommended not to get used to these oscillating changes in activity and think that it is a normal activity of the volcano.
Therefore, we reiterate that the activity of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano continues at ORANGE LEVEL, which indicates that there is a probability that in days or weeks it will erupt more than it has in the last 10 years. To change the level and return to the yellow level, a prudential time is required where trends and patterns can be observed that allow us to infer the possible decrease in activity, aspects that the current activity of the volcano still does not show. For this reason, from the SGC we warn that the level of activity of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano will remain at ORANGE LEVEL for several weeks. During this time, in the event of an acceleration of processes suggesting an imminent eruption or the eruption itself occurring, the activity level will be changed to red.
We recommend that the community remain calm, follow all the instructions of the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) and local authorities, and be attentive to the information provided by the Colombian Geological Service on the evolution of the state of the volcano.
The level of activity of the volcano remains at ORANGE LEVEL of activity or (II): PROBABLE ERUPTION IN TERMS OF DAYS OR WEEKS.
The COLOMBIAN GEOLOGICAL SERVICE will continue to be attentive to the evolution of the volcanic phenomenon and will inform opportunely about the changes that may occur.
For more information visit the following link:
https://www2.sgc.gov.co/Noticias/boletinesDocumentos/Forms/AllItems.aspx
[Layperson speculation]It certainly sounds to me, FWIW, that Ruiz is, well, if not completely “locked,” given the plume and mild ashfall, then certainly “loaded.”
An analogy:
What is keeping Ruiz’ lid on?[/Layperson speculation]
Featured image: Ric Photography/Shutterstock
Flight To Wonder 