Nevado del Ruiz: earthquakes are concentrated in the crater, what does this mean?

The Colombian Geological Service (SGC) reported that in the last 24 hours the seismic activity in the area where the Nevado del Ruiz volcano It increased again, which is why its instability and the risk of a large-scale eruption are maintained.

This with an additional ingredient, as explained to EL TIEMPO John Macario Londoño, technical director of Geothreats of the SGCwho pointed out that now the seismic activity is concentrating near the crater.

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“The current state of the volcano is still very unstable. Seismicity has changed its dynamics. This in the sense that, although earthquakes continue to be recorded in different regions around the crater, lThe main characteristic that we have observed is that it is already concentrating in the craterLondono explained.

This is because the magma is now closer to the mouth of the volcano, and it is also interacting with magma that was already in that same area since 2015. This accumulation of fluids has different implications, according to the expert.

”This seismicity is different from the others, because it is the result of the activity of the fluids, both those that go out into the atmosphere, and those that are internally inside the volcano. This means more gas outflow, more ash, and thermal anomalies that persist at the bottom of the crater.”

Extraordinary activity bulletin of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano April 13, 2023 10:05 amhttps://t.co/NErclE7CAU#SGCVolcanoes pic.twitter.com/EBagm90ond

– Colombian Geological Service (@sgcol) April 13, 2023

Regarding the perception of some sectors of the population who insist that the threat has been reduced given that no major eruption has occurred over the days, Londoño pointed out that what is happening with Nevado del Ruiz “It should not be normalized.”

“The activity that is taking place is not normal. Activity under these conditions can fluctuate. There will be days when the threat seems to have diminished, days when it seems to increase more. That is precisely part of that range of abnormal and unstable behavior that worries. That is why we speak of a probability of eruption in days or weeks, because the situation is unpredictable, it can occur in one or two days, in 10 or 20, or it may even calm down. Even in other parts there have been cases of volcanoes that return to an apparent calm and suddenly make a great eruption.Londono explains.

What would happen in the event of an eruption?

The Geological Service expert explained that, although it is not possible to predict what a large eruption of Nevado del Ruiz would be like, it is possible to predict, due to its nature and its background, what such an event would be like.

”Nevado del Ruiz is somewhat different from the volcanoes in Hawaii, where the type of volcano is called shield, which is characterized by gushing lava. ANDl Ruiz is a stratovolcano, which due to its composition and arrangement of rock and magma, its eruptions are usually explosive.

In this way, this type of eruption, and the one that El Ruiz has historically had, usually have huge columns of gases and ash that rise into the atmosphere. If they get too big, they tend to collapse. forming pyroclastic flows (a mixture of hot volcanic gases, hot solid materials, and trapped air), which are dangerous when traveling at high speeds that exceed 100 kilometers per hour, and very hot (more than 400 degrees Celsius), explains Londoño. This material could cause mudflows if combined with the water from the rivers that originate from the volcano and the melting of the snow-capped glacier.

“What could be expected – says the SGC expert – is an eruption characterized by a large eruption, similar to the one experienced in 1989, when ash fell in several towns, including Manizales, and some mudflows were formed. If the volcano destabilizes a lot, an episode like the one in 1985 could occur, which we hope will not be the case”.

Source: Elcomercio

jack

I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.