Puracé Volcano

Updated: Apr 4, 2025 17:01 GMT - refresh

stratovolcano

Colombia, 2.32°N / -76.4°W

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Summit height: 4650+ m / 15,256 ft

Current status: minor activity or eruption warning (3 out of 5)

Last update: 12 Feb 2025 (Smithsonian / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report)

Puracé volcano in SW Colombia, 25 km SE of Popayan, is one of the most active volcanoes in Colombia with frequent explosive eruptions. Its largest historic eruptions occurred in 1849, 1869, and 1885.
The last eruption of Puracé volcano was a small (VEI 2) eruption in 1977. It deposited ash up to 7 km away.
In 1990 new fumaroles and hot springs were observed at the summit and on the flank.

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Puracé webcams / live data | News/Updates | Earthquakes

Typical eruption style: explosive
Puracé volcano eruptions: 1977, 1957, 1956, 1949, 1947, 1946, 1927, 1926, 1925, 1924, 1906, 1902(?), 1899, 1885, 1881, 1878, 1870, 1869, 1860, 1847-52, 1840, 1835, 1827, 1816, 160 BC ± 50

Latest nearby earthquakes

Date and Time	Mag / Depth	Distance / Location
Apr 4, 04:23 am (GMT -5)	1.9 6 km	2.7 km (1.7 mi) to the E	Puracé (Coconuco) - Cauca, Colombia	Info
Monday, March 31, 2025 GMT (1 quake)
Mar 30, 08:05 pm (GMT -5)	2.1 8 km	25 km (16 mi) to the SW	Sotará (Paispamba) - Cauca, Colombia - Area De Influencia Volcan Sotara	Info

View recent quakes

Background

Puracé is an andesitic stratovolcano with a 500-m-wide summit crater constructed over a dacitic shield volcano. The volcano is located at the NW end of a volcanic massif opposite the Pan de Azúcar stratovolcano 6 km to the SE.
A NW-SE-trending group of 7 cones and craters, Los Coconucos, lies between the two larger edifices. (Source: USGS / GVP volcano information)

Significant volcanic eruptions: Puracé volcano

In the past 10,000 years, Puracé has had at least 27 confirmed volcanic eruptions, out of which 26 are documented by historical records, while the others can be inferred from geological evidence.

The table below lists all known eruptions (date in bold face) of Puracé volcano since around 1800. Updates on the most recent volcanic activity of Puracé can be found on the news page of Puracé volcano.

Date	Note	VEI	Deaths	Damage
2023 Nov 16	Historical obs./docs.	1
2022 Mar 29	Between Puracé and Curiquinga Historical obs./docs.	1
1977 Mar 19 - Mar 28 ?	Historical obs./docs.	2
1957 Jul 2 ±182 d.	Historical obs./docs.	2?
1956 or before	Historical obs./docs.	2
1949 May 26 - Jun 11	Historical obs./docs.	2
1949 May 26 (eruption 1949 May 26 - Jun 11)	Historical obs./docs.	2	17		Info
1949 May 26: University students killed by block ejection as they attempted to reach the summit. Cited references #1412 Simkin, Tom, and Lee Siebert with the collaboration of Russell Blong, Jonathan Dehn, Christopher Newhall, Roland Pool, and Thomas C. Stein (1994): Volcanoes of the World, Second Edition, A Regional Directory, Gazetteer, and Chronology of Volcanism During the Last 10,000 Years, Geoscience Press, Inc., Tucson, Arizona, in association with Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program, Washington, D.C., p. 164-176. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
1947 Apr 27	Historical obs./docs.	2
1946 Mar - Apr	Historical obs./docs.	2
1927	Historical obs./docs.	2
1926 Aug - Sep	Historical obs./docs.	2
1925 Oct 12 - Nov 5	Historical obs./docs.	2
1924	Historical obs./docs.	2
1906	Historical obs./docs.	2
1902 ?	Historical obs./docs.	2
1899	Historical obs./docs.	2
1885 May 25	Historical obs./docs.	3
1885 May 25 (eruption 1885 May 25)	Historical obs./docs.	3	50-100 (*)	moderate	Info
1885 May 25: A catastrophic explosion accompanied by an earthquake killed many people and destroyed many houses. Cited references #1412 Simkin, Tom, and Lee Siebert with the collaboration of Russell Blong, Jonathan Dehn, Christopher Newhall, Roland Pool, and Thomas C. Stein (1994): Volcanoes of the World, Second Edition, A Regional Directory, Gazetteer, and Chronology of Volcanism During the Last 10,000 Years, Geoscience Press, Inc., Tucson, Arizona, in association with Smithsonian Institution, Global Volcanism Program, Washington, D.C., p. 164-176. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
1881	Historical obs./docs.	2
1878 Aug 31	Historical obs./docs.	2
1870 Oct	Historical obs./docs.	2
1869 Oct 4 - Nov	Historical obs./docs.	3?
1860 ±9 y.	Historical obs./docs.	2?
1847 Oct 27 - 1852	Historical obs./docs.	3?
1840	Historical obs./docs.	2
1835 Jan 23	Historical obs./docs.	2
1827 Nov 18	Historical obs./docs.	2
1816	Historical obs./docs.	?

(*) Estimated numbers

Remark:

Our list of volcanic eruptions closely follows the database of eruptions of the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Project (GVP), the internationally most recognized data source for volcanic eruptions, but also includes significant eruptive episodes or related volcano events. "Volcanic eruptions" are usually to be understood as sequences of individual eruptive episodes that can follow each other, or even overlap (if several vents are involved), and can last many years, decades or even longer. For example, the current activity of Stromboli volcano is understood as a single eruption that has been ongoing since 1934.

Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Significant Volcanic Eruptions Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K | Global Volcanism Project / Smithsonian Institution

Puracé Volcano FAQ

+When was the last eruption of Puracé volcano?

The last confirmed eruption of Puracé occurred in 2023.

+How often does Puracé volcano erupt?

Since 1816, Puracé volcano has had at least 26 historically documented eruptions. This means that it erupts on average every 8 years.

+How active is Puracé volcano at present?

Puracé volcano is relatively active: Since 1900, it has had 14 eruptions, and been active during 14 years out of 126 as of now. This means, Puracé has been in eruption one in 9 years on average. The last eruption was in 2023 and ended 17 months ago.

+When was the largest eruption of Puracé volcano?

The largest eruption of Puracé volcano in historic times occurred in 1885. It ranks as a "vulcanian" eruption with a magnitude 3 on the VEI (Volcanic Explosivity Index) scale.

Latest satellite images

See also: Sentinel hub | Landsat 8 | NASA FIRMS

Latest satellite images

Puracé Volcano Maps

Below is a selection of maps showing the location and surroundings of the volcano at various resolutions based on aerial-imagery / terrain maps. Feel free to use them for non-commercial purposes on your blog or website as long as you credit them with a link back to this page (click to copy it).