• Status: Orange, but —
  

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  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

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  The take-away here: Ruiz might wind up steadily, if that’s on its agenda, or it might just give them a few minutes’ notice before the “big one.”

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• Interactive official hazard map (autotranslated), via Relief Web; En español
• USAID April 4th map (autotranslated) posted on May 18 at Relief Web.
• Links to webcams, public data, and other information.
• Update archive.

Update, May 25, 11:41 a.m., Pacific: There isn’t any dramatic change noted thus far today, though the summit isn’t quite as snowy as it was yesterday in Jhon/VIDJCB’s video:

There was an ash advisory again overnight but none is up currently. That plume is stronger than on recent mornings, though.

He reads the SGC bulletin, and here is the gist of it, with emphasis added by either SGC or me:

From 09:00 a.m. yesterday (May 24) until the time of publication of this bulletin, the seismic activity associated with rock fracturing inside the volcanic edifice increased in number of earthquakes and seismic energy, compared to May 23. The earthquakes were located in the sectors northeast and southwest of the volcano, at a maximum distance of 5 km from the Arenas crater and depths ranging from 3 to 6 km. The maximum magnitude recorded was 1.2, corresponding to the earthquake registered at 07:23 p.m., located 4.1 km to the northeast in the crater Arenas, at a depth of approximately 5 km from the top of the volcano

On the other hand, the seismic activity related to the movement of fluids inside the volcanic conduits also increased in the number of earthquakes, however, this activity presented seismic energy levels similar to those of yesterday (May 23). some of the signs seismic were associated with pulsatile ash emissions confirmed through the cameras website used for volcanic monitoring.

In relation to surface activity, the maximum height of the gas and/or ash column was 1200 m measured from the top of the volcano. The preferential direction of dispersal is towards the northeast. Variations in the degassing of sulfur dioxide and the output of
water vapor from the crater to the atmosphere.

All these indicators ratify what we have reiterated from the SGC: the activity of the volcano Nevado del Ruiz is still very unstable. It is possible that the levels of seismic activity, as well as the levels of degassing or ash output decrease or are oscillating, in the sense to increase some days and decrease others. However, this does not imply that the volcano has returned to their normal levels of activity, so it is recommended not to get used to these changes oscillatory 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 there will be a larger eruption than it has
done in the last 10 years. To change the level and return to the Yellow level, a period of time is required where trends and patterns can be observed that allow inferring the possible decrease in activity, aspects that the current activity of the volcano still does not show. For this, 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 level of activity will be changed to Red.

We recommend that the community remain calm, follow all the instructions of the Unit National 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 COLOMBIAN GEOLOGICAL SERVICE will continue to monitor the evolution of the volcanic phenomenon and will inform in a timely manner about the changes that may occur.

For more information visit the following link:
https://www2.sgc.gov.co/Noticias/boletinesDocumentos/Forms/AllItems.aspx

Featured image: Ric Photography/Shutterstock