Galeras

Galeras
Galeras in December 2005
Highest point
Elevation4,276 m (14,029 ft)[1]
Coordinates1°13′16″N 77°21′33″W / 1.22111°N 77.35917°W / 1.22111; -77.35917[1]
Geography
Galeras is located in Colombia
Galeras
Galeras
Location of Galeras in Colombia
LocationNariño
 Colombia
Parent rangeCentral Ranges
 Andes
Geology
Mountain typeComplex volcano
Volcanic arc/beltNorth Volcanic Zone
Last eruption2012 to 2014[1]

Galeras (Urcunina among the 16th-century indigenous people) is an Andean stratovolcano in the Colombian department of Nariño, near the departmental capital Pasto. Its summit rises 4,276 metres (14,029 ft) above sea level. It has erupted frequently since the Spanish conquest, with its first historical eruption being recorded on December 7, 1580.[2] A 1993 eruption killed nine people, including six scientists who had descended into the volcano's crater to sample gases and take gravity measurements in an attempt to be able to predict future eruptions.[3] It is currently the most active volcano in Colombia.

  1. ^ a b c "Galeras". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
  2. ^ (in Spanish) PASTO: Geographical, Economics and Culture Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Eruption: A Survivor's Tale, Scholastic