Definition and facts
Modest eruption on summit ice pack generates lethal lahar.
23,000 killed in second-worst volcano disaster of the twentieth century.
Factors include delayed hazard map, inadequately prepared local authorities, unprepared populace, and refusal to accept false alarm.
Lessons from Armero provide many guidelines for future emergencies.
Introduction
Nevado del Ruiz Volcano, 5,370-m high, is located near Manizales in the Central Cordillera of Colombia between the Magdalena Valley to the East and the Cauca Valley to the West (Figure 1). Although Colombia has several active volcanoes, prior to the eruption of Ruiz in 1985, the country had virtually no first-hand experience in dealing with active volcanoes, nor were Colombian scientists specialized in volcanology. For most Colombians, tales by grandparents about minor eruptions at Galeras and Puracé volcanoes in the south of the country provided the only vague impressions of active volcanism. This inexperience played a...
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Acknowledgments
We thank our colleagues on the Comité de Estudios Volcanologicos in Manizales. Special mention is due to Bruno Martinelli, the Swiss seismologist in our paper, and the Colombians H. Cepeda, P. Medina, E. Parra, F. Munoz, A. Nieto, and N. Garcia, later killed at Galeras. We also acknowledge our USGS colleagues, particularly Dick Janda, D. Harlow, N. Banks, R. Norris, J. Lockwood, and J. Zollweg. Andinista Bis, who was killed on Ruiz, and Oscar Ospina, both made great contributions.
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Voight, B., Calvache, M.L., Hall, M.L., Monsalve, M.L. (2013). Nevado del Ruiz Volcano, Colombia 1985. In: Bobrowsky, P.T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4399-4_253
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