Experts Predict Columbia Volcano is on the Verge of Eruption, Might Erupt in a Few Days

In just a few days, the Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Columbia could erupt. Authorities have recently raised the alert level to Orange, and locals are advised to leave their homes.

Nevado del Ruiz Volcano at Orange Alert Level

Experts believe that the Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Colombia, which is known as the deadliest volcano in the Western Hemisphere, is about to erupt. On March 30, Colombia's Geological Service raised the volcano's alert level from yellow to orange. They issue a warning that the volcano may erupt within "weeks or days" with a force unseen in the previous ten years.

According to reports from CNN, seismic energy is intensifying, and volcanic activity is very unstable.

On April 5, around 2,500 families that lived near the volcano evacuated under the orders of Colombian President Gustavo Petro. Many locals have been reluctant to abandon their possessions and means of support.

An unprecedented number of tremors, thousands per day, have been detected by geologists monitoring the volcano.

Nevado del Ruiz, one of Colombia's tallest peaks at 3.3 miles high, is located in a populated farming region. It is only 80 miles west of the country's capital city, Bogotá.

The Town of Armero and Historic Seismic Activities

The same volcano erupted in 1985, with tragic results. The town of Armero was almost entirely buried by mudslides that were caused by it. Out of the town's 30,000 inhabitants, more than 23,000 died.

Geologists, seismologists, and vulcanologists have spent a long time studying volcanoes and attempting to understand them, but they are still largely perplexed by the lava-spewing behemoths.

For instance, Nevado del Ruiz's threat level last increased in 2012. April of that year saw residents living under an orange alert for more than a month.

For two days in June, this was elevated to a red alert. But there was no significant eruption.

Recently, new techniques for evaluating the possibilities of volcanic eruptions have been tested, ranging from analyzing the chemical composition of the atmosphere above active volcanoes to using artificial intelligence to try and understand the pattern of eruptions.

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When Magma Moves, Locals Move, Too

Amelung claims via Newswise that all the conditions are present for a new eruption at this time on this high-risk, closely-monitored volcano. On March 30, there was a significant seismic swarm, and this low-magnitude earthquake sequence is a strong indication that magma is moving.

Amelung acknowledges that eruption forecasts cannot be made with complete certainty.

The increased activity, according to him, could end and nothing would happen.

Ironically, the size of the glaciers covering the volcano's summit has shrunk over the past 38 years, which lessens the likelihood of Lahars and Armero flooding.

However, as Amelung noted, it is also bad news in terms of the risk of an eruption as there will only be less pressure from the overload to keep the magma at depth, according to Cosmos Magazine.