The Puracé volcano in southwestern Colombia remains under an Orange alert status following a surge in seismic activity and gas emissions that began in late July 2026. According to the Servicio Geológico Colombiano (SGC), the shift from Yellow to Orange indicates an elevated probability of a major eruption within days or weeks, prompting local authorities to review contingency plans and restrict access to the summit.
Activity within the Los Coconucos volcanic chain increased notably around July 20, 2026. Instruments operated by the SGC recorded a steady climb in seismic energy, persistent ground deformation, and rising temperatures from emission points. Nathalia Contreras, technical director of geohazards at the SGC, stated that monitoring parameters reached their highest levels since official tracking of the volcano began.
Current Eruption Signs and Gas Emissions
The ongoing unrest has produced continuous gas-and-ash columns rising up to 3,400 meters above the summit. According to regional observatory bulletins, the emissions originate from the Puracé-Piocollo-Curiquinga complex and carry elevated concentrations of sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide. Jaime Raigosa, coordinator of the Popayán Volcanological and Seismological Observatory, warned that discrete ash puffs and sudden releases of toxic gases pose a direct threat to anyone visiting the upper sectors of the volcano.
The SGC maintains the alert at level 3 on a four-color scale, meaning an eruption is probable but not guaranteed. Officials have explicitly advised residents and tourists to stay away from the crater areas of Puracé, Piocollo, and Curiquinga. While the current phase consists of low-level eruptive activity rather than a massive explosive paroxysm, authorities continue round-the-clock monitoring.
The Lahar Hazard for Popayán and Surrounding Valleys
For communities situated downstream, the primary hazard involves potential lahars—fast-moving mudflows created when volcanic heat melts summit ice and mixes with loose ash and water. The SGC has identified the municipalities of Puracé, Popayán, and Sotará, along with the Indigenous reserves of Puracé, Kokonuko, and Paletará, as vulnerable areas in the event of a major escalation.
Popayán lies approximately 27 kilometers from the volcanic complex. Colombian disaster management officials remain particularly vigilant regarding mudflows due to historical precedent in the Andean nation. In November 1985, a modest eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano, located about 320 kilometers to the north, generated destructive lahars that buried the town of Armero and resulted in thousands of fatalities. Although Puracé features a much smaller ice cap than northern snow-clad giants, local officials use the Orange alert to update evacuation routes and inspect municipal shelters.
Emergency Preparedness and Official Guidance
Local governments in the Cauca department have activated localized contingency plans in coordination with the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD). While authorities have not ordered mandatory evacuations, municipal leaders in Puracé are actively identifying temporary shelters for high-risk zones and issuing travel restrictions for the surrounding national park.
Scientists emphasize that residents rely exclusively on official updates published by the SGC and regional disaster authorities. Monitoring teams continue to analyze sulfur dioxide fluxes and shallow tremor depths of less than one kilometer to track shifts in the subsurface plumbing of the Los Coconucos chain.
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