Nevada Del Ruiz

Colombia, S.America ... 13th November 1985

Destructive Plate Boundary - Nazca under S.American Plate

3:06pm - Ash and Pumice thrown from vents

7:00pm - Evacuation called off as Ash stopped falling

9:08pm - Lava erupts, Ash and Rock thrown in air, Heavy Rainfall, Pyroclastic Flow moves hot volcanic debris across snow glacier. This melts, and mixes with Ash to create Lahars. Lahars grew as they moved down the valley, picking up soil.

Lahars were REALLY thick and fast (50km/h). Noise created by Lahars was soo.. loud, it made houses and ground shake, and convo by shouting was impossible.

Pyroclastic Flows

Magma

Nuées Ardentes

Disease

Blocked roads - Rescue Workers found it difficult to rescue survivors from mud.

Dirty Acidic water - un drinkable

Weeks later - bodies found in dry mud

Cattle was ill and weak - Inhaled ash and weight loss

5,000 Homes Destroyed

5,000 injured

23,000 people killed

10,000 homeless

COST - US $7.7 billion (20% of countries GDP, at that time)

Red Cross helped people and provided them with antibiotics and clean water. They also cleaned their wounds so they would not get infected and die.

Hospitals full - People had to wait 3 days - by then they were ill

Mobile field hospitals

SIGNS OF THE VOLCANO ERUPTING

Series of Earthquakes

Ash and Pumice thrown from vents