Puracé Volcano maintains orange alert after ash emissions

The Puracé Volcano in Cauca, Colombia, remains under an orange alert following a series of ash emissions. The Colombian Geological Service (SGC) reported that seven ash emissions occurred between Saturday, September 12, and Sunday, September 13. One notable emission on Sunday morning reached an altitude of approximately 1,200 meters above the crater, dispersing toward the northwest.

Ashfall has been reported in several areas, including the municipalities of Puracé and Popayán, specifically in the villages of Hato Viejo, Hispala, 20 de Julio, and the district of Coconuco.

Monitoring by the SGC indicates ongoing seismic activity related to fluid movement within volcanic conduits at depths of less than one kilometer under the crater. Additionally, rock fracturing seismicity has been detected 12 to 15 kilometers northeast of the volcano. The service also noted slow ground deformation in the area between the Puracé, Piocollo, and Curiquinga volcanoes, alongside sustained sulfur dioxide emissions and rising soil carbon dioxide concentrations.