Galeras

Galeras is an active stratovolcano in southwestern Colombia, near the city of Pasto. Its frequent eruptions and proximity to populated areas make it a major volcanic hazard.

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Stratovolcano: A steep, cone-shaped volcano built from alternating layers of lava and fragmented volcanic material. Galeras’s layered cone and steep slopes place it in this volcano class.
1993 Galeras eruption: A January 1993 explosive eruption of Galeras that killed six scientists and three tourists near the summit. It became a defining disaster in the volcano’s modern history.
Volcanic hazard: A potentially harmful volcanic process or condition, such as ash fall, lava, or an eruption-triggered flow. Galeras combines several hazards near densely populated areas.
Central Volcanic Zone of the Andes: A volcanic arc in the Andes produced by subduction beneath western South America. Galeras belongs to the northern Andean volcanic arc associated with subduction.
Volcanic crater: A bowl-shaped depression around a volcanic vent, formed by eruptions or collapse. Galeras erupts from a crater within its summit caldera.
1992 Galeras eruption: An explosive eruption of Galeras in July 1992 that sent ash over nearby communities. It preceded the fatal 1993 expedition and demonstrated renewed activity.
Volcano observatory: A scientific institution that monitors volcanic activity and communicates assessments of unrest and hazards. Colombia’s volcano monitoring system tracks Galeras and informs public warnings.
Nazca Plate: An oceanic tectonic plate moving beneath the South American Plate along the western margin of South America. Its subduction supplies the tectonic setting for volcanism in southwestern Colombia.
Pyroclastic flow: A fast-moving, ground-hugging current of hot gas, ash, and volcanic fragments. Such flows pose a severe danger during explosive activity at Galeras.
2006 Galeras eruptions: A series of explosive eruptions at Galeras in 2006 that prompted evacuations around the volcano. These events tested hazard response near Pasto.