Collaborative Research: RAPID: Nevado del Ruiz Volcano, Colombia: Enhancing Geodetic Observations and Digital Elevation Models in Response to Recent Activity

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In 1985, a relatively small eruption at Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Colombia killed approximately 23,000 people in or near the town of Armero. A glacier at the top of the volcano partially melted, contributing to a large lahar that moved quickly downslope, inundating the town with large volumes of water mixed with volcanic ash and rock. Recent activity at Nevado del Ruiz appears similar to the precursor activity observed in 1985 has local scientists at the Servicio Geologico Colombiano (SGC), the national geological survey of Colombia and the investigators on this grant concerned that another destructive lahar event similar to the 1985 event could initiate in the near future. Unfortunately despite Colombian government efforts to discourage human settlement in areas surrounding Nevado del Ruiz that are particularly susceptible to the channeling of destructive lahars, local Colombians have quickly forgotten the past destructive potential of this volcano and much development has occurred in at-risk areas since the 1985 lahar. This grant is congruent with NSFs mission of promoting the progress of science.Support from this Grant for Rapid Response Research (RAPID) will enable the development of a high resolution digital elevation model (DEM) of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Columbia coupled with GPS observations of surface deformation.The investigators will employ a University of South Florida owned terrestrial Ku-band radar, drone-based aerial photogrammetry and Structure from Motion software to generate a very high resolution DEM that is a necessary input to the new generation of quantitative lahar models that will inform risk mitigation plans and will gain better resolution of volcanic edifice surface deformation with an expanded GPS network surrounding Nevado del Ruiz. The surface deformation observations can offer clues to pressure changes in the shallow magmatic plumbing system and help advise early warning decisions. The terrestrial radar will be used to generate interferograms of the spatial variability of deformation patterns and changes in the velocity of the capping glacier at Nevado del Ruiz, that if quickly melted by heat from accelerated volcanic activity, would be responsible for lahar generation.