Thin Air

Galeras

Posted by Colin Putney on August 13, 2004

The other day I noticed a odd-looking cloud on the horizon. There was the usual horizontal band shrouding the mountain tops, but rising out of it was a vertical plume that was amazingly tall. It seemed like a mini mushroom cloud or maybe a volcanic eruption. But it was too small, and there was no ash... I shrugged and went inside.

Today I found out that it was, in fact a volcano eruption. Volcán Galeras in south-western Colombia erupted this week, with plumes as high as 6 km. No wonder I could see it all the way from Quito. Apparently the ash got as far as Ibarra, which is a town about an hour north of Quito.

Posted in ecuador