Puracé volcano in Colombia records increased seismic activity on orange alert

Published at: 30/08/2026 09:08 PM

The Colombian Geological Survey (SGC) warned this Sunday, August 30, of an increase in seismic activity due to rock fractures in the Puracé volcano, located in the department of Cauca, in southwestern Colombia. The volcanic structure has been at an orange alert level since August 1, after a series of telluric events located 11 kilometers north-east of the main crater.

According to technical reports, cited by Telesur on its web portal, the earthquakes originated at a depth of nine kilometers and counted around 50 events in the area of influence.

The coordinator of the Popayán Volcanological and Seismological Observatory, Cristian Santacoloma, specified about the recorded behavior that “some stand out with quantities between 2.8 and 4.1", which were perceived by the inhabitants of the municipalities of Totoró, Puracé and the city of Popayán.

The specialist explained that this kind of seismicity due to rock fractures usually occurs within the perimeters of influence of active volcanic structures. The official also clarified that the rest of the monitoring parameters remain stable within the reported averages, so the technical teams continue with the ongoing evaluation of the system.

The authorities of the SGC urged the population to refrain from accessing the upper area of the volcano as a preventive measure in the face of possible contingencies. The Puracé volcano is located 27 kilometers from Popayán and maintains its most significant eruptive history recorded in 1977.

Mazo News Team