Officials said Monday that 120 people residing near Colombia’s Nevada del Ruiz volcano were being evacuated due to increased seismic activity.
The volcano’s 1985 eruption, which killed 25,000 people, is regarded the worst natural disaster in Colombian history. And one of the deadliest eruptions of the twentieth century.
According to Blu Radio, the governor of the Caldas department, Luis Carlos Velasquez, approximately 40 families living near the volcano will be moved as a “preventative” measure.
He claims that some of the homes near the smoking crater are not accessible by mobile phone or radio. Making it difficult to alert them in the event of an emergency.
The ministry of mines reported a “significant increase in seismic activity” last week. While Colombia’s SGC geological agency cautioned of a “probable eruption within days or weeks.”
“We have an orange alert due to a change in seismology at the Nevada Ruiz volcano,” President Gustavo Petro tweeted. Mayors must develop procedures for this level of alert.”
The orange level indicated the possibility of an eruption “larger than any in the last decade.” According to Colombia’s UNGRD disaster risk management section.
The Lunar Crater volcanic area
The Lunar Crater volcanic area is located in Nye County, Nevada. It is located along the Reveille and Pancake Ranges and consists of over 200 vents. The majority of which are small volcanic cones with associated lava flows. But there are also several maars, including one called Lunar Crater. Some eruptions have been so severely eroded that the structures beneath the volcanoes have been revealed. The Lunar Crater has served as a testing ground for Mars rovers as well as a training ground for astronauts.
The volcanic field developed on top of older volcanic rocks and calderas from the Oligocene to Miocene epochs. But its own activity began only about 6 million years ago. The causes of the volcanic action there are unknown. The volcanic field has produced different types of basaltic magma as well as trachyte. The most recent eruption occurred approximately 38,000 years ago, and new activity is conceivable.
