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Report on Purace (Colombia) — 15 May-21 May 2024


Purace

Smithsonian Institution / US Geological Survey
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 15 May-21 May 2024
Managing Editor: Sally Sennert.

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 2024. Report on Purace (Colombia) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 15 May-21 May 2024. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.

Weekly Report (15 May-21 May 2024)

Purace

Colombia

2.3095°N, 76.3948°W; summit elev. 4650 m

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


Observatorio Vulcanológico y Sismológico de Popayán, Servicio Geologico Colombiano (SGC) reported that the daily number of both volcanic tremor (VT) and long-period (LP) seismic events at Puracé trended downward during 14-21 May, and by the end of the week had reached pre-29 April levels. The VT events had low magnitudes and were located at depths up to 2.4 km beneath the volcano and its E flank. The largest VT events, M 1.5, were recorded at 1821 on 14 May and at 0711 on 16 May. LP earthquakes were located at depths less than 3 km beneath the volcano and its N flank. Inclement weather often prevented visual observations of emissions, though during 15-16 May a gas plume rose as high as 650 m above the summit and drifted W. Both carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide emissions remained above baseline levels. The Alert Level remained at Orange (the second highest level on a four-color scale).

Geological Summary. Puracé is an active andesitic volcano with a 600-m-diameter summit crater at the NW end of the Los Coconucos Volcanic Chain. This volcanic complex includes nine composite and five monogenetic volcanoes, extending from the Puracé crater more than 6 km SE to the summit of Pan de Azúcar stratovolcano. The dacitic massif which the complex is built on extends about 13 km NW-SE and 10 km NE-SW. Frequent small to moderate explosive eruptions reported since 1816 CE have modified the morphology of the summit crater, with the largest eruptions in 1849, 1869, and 1885.

Source: Servicio Geológico Colombiano (SGC)