Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Nevado del Ruiz
| Nevado del Ruiz | |
|---|---|
 Steam eruption in September, 1985. | |
| Elevation: | 5,389 m (17,784 ft) |
| Latitude: | 4° 53′ N |
| Longitude: | 75° 22′ W |
| 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).
External link and reference
03-10-2013 05:06:04
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details