- 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
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.”
- 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 26, 11:22 a.m., Pacific: There is an ash advisory in effect:
FVXX21 KNES 261651
VA ADVISORY
DTG: 20230526/1651Z
VAAC: WASHINGTON
VOLCANO: RUIZ 351020
PSN: N0453 W07519
AREA: COLOMBIA
SUMMIT ELEV: 17319 FT (5279 M)
ADVISORY NR: 2023/304
INFO SOURCE: GOES-16. VONA. NWP MODELS.
ERUPTION DETAILS: POSS VA EMS
OBS VA DTG: 26/1620Z
OBS VA CLD: SFC/FL210 N0507 W07530 – N0453 W07519
– N0450 W07520 – N0458 W07540 – N0507 W07530 MOV
NW 10KT
FCST VA CLD +6HR: 26/2230Z NO VA EXP
FCST VA CLD +12HR: 27/0430Z NO VA EXP
FCST VA CLD +18HR: 27/1030Z NO VA EXP
RMK: VA IS CURRENTLY NOT OBS ON STLT DUE TO DENSE
WX CLDS. VA IS DRAWN BASED ON NWP MDL WND AND
VONA INFO. …ZHU
NXT ADVISORY: WILL BE ISSUED BY 20230526/2245Z
The weather there is cloudy and rainy, but Jhon/VIDJCB got some pictures of the gray/white Ruiz summit and the volcano’s plume this morning:
He reads the SGC bulletin in these videos, and here is the gist, via Google Translate, with emphasis by either SGC or me:
From 09:00 a.m. yesterday (May 25) until the time of publication of this bulletin, continued the
seismic activity associated with rock fracturing inside the coming volcanic edifice registering since May 24 in the northeastern sector of the volcano, at a maximum distance of 4 km from the Arenas crater and at depths between 4 and 6 km. This seismicity showed an increase in
the number of earthquakes and seismic energy levels compared to the previous day (May 24). The maximum registered magnitude was 1.5 ML, corresponding to the earthquake at 01:20 a.m., located
3 km to the northeast in the Arenas crater, and at an approximate depth of 5 km with respect to the top of the volcano.Regarding the seismicity related to the movement of fluids inside the conduits volcanic, we register similar levels in the number of events and in the seismic energy released compared to May 24. Some of the seismic signals were associated with pulsatile emissions of ash confirmed through the web cameras used for volcanic monitoring.
Regarding surface activity, the maximum height of the gas and/or ash column was 2800 m measured from the top of the volcano, associated with the ash emission at 05:13 p.m. from yesterday. The preferential direction of dispersion was maintained mainly towards the northeast of the volcano, although this morning it has been observed towards the northwest of this. Variations continue in the degassing of sulfur dioxide and the release of water vapor from the crater into the atmosphere. Due to atmospheric conditions, there have been no reports of thermal anomalies from the bottom of the Arenas crater from satellite monitoring platforms.
We reiterate, once again, that the activity of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano continues to be very unstable. It is possible that the levels of seismic activity, as well as the levels of degassing or output of ash decrease or are oscillatory, 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 that it is recommended not to get used to these oscillating changes of 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 prudential 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 the processes that suggest an imminent eruption or that the eruption itself occurs, 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
Flight To Wonder 