Volcano in Colombia

Purace volcano: eruption status today

Updated

Purace is active now: NASA lists an open volcanic activity event (latest report Dec 2, 2025) 0 earthquakes within 50 km in the past 7 days.

Live status of Purace: whether it is erupting now, satellite hot spots, earthquakes around it, and what an eruption would mean for nearby cities and flights.

Status now
Active (NASA EONET) latest report Dec 2, 2025
Last eruption
1964 or later last significant: 1949
Elevation
4,650 m 15,257 ft
Type
Stratovolcano
Earthquakes within 50 km
0 past 30 days (USGS)
Hot spots within 10 km
0 latest NASA FIRMS VIIRS data
Nearest city
Popayán 27 km WNW

Open on the live map

Is Purace erupting right now?

NASA's Earth Observatory Natural Event Tracker (EONET) has an open volcanic event for Purace, last updated Dec 2, 2025 (328 days ago). EONET opens an event when agencies such as the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program report eruptive activity or unrest, and closes it when activity ends.

No satellite thermal hot spot was detected within 10 km of the summit in the latest NASA FIRMS data, so there is no sign of lava at the surface large enough for VIIRS to see (clouds can hide it).

Earthquakes near Purace

USGS has no earthquake within 50 km of Purace in the past 30 days. Outside the United States USGS mainly lists quakes above about M4, so small volcanic tremors recorded by the local observatory will not appear here.

About Purace

Purace is a stratovolcano in Colombia, rising to 4,650 m (15,257 ft). NOAA NCEI classes its eruptive history as "Historical".

Stratovolcanoes are steep cones built from alternating lava and ash layers; their eruptions are often explosive, with ash columns that can reach cruising altitude.

The nearest large town is Popayán, about 27 km WNW of the summit; 5 other cities lie within 250 km.

Flights and volcanic ash

1 major airport is within 400 km; the closest is El Dorado (BOG), 364 km away. Volcanic ash melts in jet engines, so an explosive eruption can close airspace and cancel flights even far downwind.

Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres (VAACs) issue the official ash advisories that airlines and air traffic control follow.

AirportDistanceDirection
El Dorado (BOG)364 kmNE

Other volcanoes in Colombia

Colombia has 7 volcanoes on this site that erupted since 1900 or are active now. The closest other one is Nevado del Huila, 79 km away.

Nearby volcanoes

Volcanoes in Colombia

More

Data: NOAA NCEI Volcano Locations, NASA EONET (open volcano events), USGS earthquakes, NASA FIRMS (VIIRS hot spots), Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program.