Nevado del Ruiz
From Academic Kids
| Nevado del Ruiz | |
|---|---|
| Missing image Nevado_del_Ruiz.jpg Steam eruption in September, 1985. | |
| Elevation: | 5,389 m (17,784 ft) |
| Coordinates: | Template:Coor dm |
| Location: | Colombia |
| Range: | Andes |
| Type: | Stratovolcano |
| First ascent: | 1936 by M. Rapp and party |
Nevado del Ruiz is a volcano in Colombia.
On November 13, 1985, Nevado del Ruiz erupted. Pyroclastic flows melted ice and snow at the summit. This melt formed lahars that rushed down several river valleys. The lahars were up to 50 metres thick and travelled more than 100 kilometres.
Many houses and towns were devastated by the lahars. The town of Armero, Colombia was completely covered by debris. Approximately 21,000 people (out of 28,700) died in Armero. The eruption caused an estimated 23,000 deaths, 5,000 injuries, and destroyed more than 5,000 homes. This was the second-deadliest volcanic disaster in the 20th century (the 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée was the worst).
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External link and reference
- USGS web page about Nevado del Ruiz eruption (http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/Hazards/What/Lahars/RuizLahars.html)
Missing image
Ruiz_volcano.jpg
Ruiz_volcano.jpg
Space radar image of Nevado del Ruiz
