Overall Green alert Volcanic eruption for Sangay
in Ecuador

Event summary

GREEN alert: The Sangay Volcanic eruption is unlikely to require external humanitarian assistance based on the exposed population and coping capacity.

GDACS ID VO 1000017
Name: Sangay
Lat/Lon: -2.005 , -78.341
Event Date: 12 Mar 2021 UTC
Exposed Population 30km: About 19000 people within 30km
Exposed Population 100km: About 1530000 people within 100km
Max Volc. Explosivity Index VEI: 3
Population Exposure Index PEI: 3
Inserted at: 12 Mar 2021 07:27 UTC

GDACS Score

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Virtual OSOCC
Meteo assessment
Satellite products
Analytical products
Ecuador - Volcanic eruption (ECHO 12 Mar 2021)Fri, 12 Mar 2021 14:43

  • The activity of Sangay volcano, located in central Ecuador, is increasing over the past few days. On 11 March, a pyroclastic flow descended trough the south-east flank (río Volcán) and an ash column up to 12,5 km above the sea level moved north-westward. 
  • According to the Geophysical Institute of Ecuador (IGEPN) and media, widespread ashfall reached several provinces of Chimborazo, particularly Riobamba City, located 50 km north-west of the volcano.
  • People have been advised not to stay close to the Volcán and Upano rivers due to lahar risks. Moderate to heavy rain is forecast over most parts of Ecuador. About 133,306 people have been severely affected (29,772 households) and 44,574 ha of agricultural land have been seriously damaged.
Ecuador - Volcanic eruption (ECHO 09 Feb 2022)Wed, 09 Feb 2022 12:49

  • On 8 February at 9.30 UTC, Sangay volcano, located in central Ecuador, erupted an ash column 7 km high above the crater.
  • According to the national authorities, a huge amount of ashfall has been recorded across the cantons of Riobamba, Santiago de Quito and Colta in Chimborazo Province. Light ashfall affected also the cantons of Guaranda (Bolívar Province) and some parts of Los Ríos Province.
  • For the next 24 hours, moderate to heavy rainfall is forecast across most parts of central Ecuador.
Detailed event map. European Union, 2024. Map produced by EC-JRC.
The boundaries and the names shown on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the European Union.

Updates on volcanic activity (Smithsonian)

The Smithsonian/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report provides information about global volcanism on a weekly basis. Latest Sangay report has been published on 10 Mar 2021 08:53.
IG reported a high level of activity at Sangay during 3-9 March. Seismicity was characterized by daily explosions, long-period earthquakes, and signals indicating emissions. Weather clouds often prevented visual observations of the volcano, but satellite and webcam images recorded daily ash plumes. Ash plumes were notable during 5-6 March and impacted communities downwind with ashfall. According to the Washington VAAC ash plumes rose 5.8-12.2 km (19,000-40,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 170-370 km SW, W, and NW; ash at altitudes of 5.8-8.2 km (19,000-27,000 ft) a.s.l. drifted 185 km E. During 5-6 March ashfall was reported in Alfredo Baquerizo Moreno (132 km W), but fell more significantly in Alaus? (61 km WSW), Chunchi (73 km SW), Cumand? (90 km WSW), Guamote (42 km WNW), Pallatanga (70 km W), Milagro (140 km W), San Jacinto de Yaguachi (150 km W), Samborondon (170 km W), Daule (180 km W), and Dur?n (168 km W). SNGRE reported that the ashfall affected a total of 108,457 people (23,750 families) as well as numerous crops and animals; they distributed volcano-related aid kits to impacted populations. Ashfall continued to impact multiple communities during 6-7 March. Ash fell in Guayaquil (175 km W), General Antonio Elizalde (97 km WSW), Sim?n Bol?var, Milagro (140 km W), San Jacinto de Yaguachi (150 km W), El Triunfo (125 km WSW), Daule, Sambor?ndon (170 km W), Coronel Marceli?o Maridue?a (120 km WSW), Dur?n, Naranjito, Alfredo Baquerizo Moreno, Playas (240 km WSW), Guamote (40 km WNW), Alaus? (60 km SW), Pallatanga (70 km W), Chunch? (72 km SW), and Colta (55 km NW). Sources: Instituto Geof?sico-Escuela Polit?cnica Nacional (IG) ,Servicio Nacional de Gesti?n de Riesgos y Emergencias (SNGRE)
See the detail here

Latest media headlines

Articles: 6 | About casualties: 0 | Last hour: 0

Meteo Cronaca DIRETTA VIDEO: ECUADOR, CITTA' ricoperte di CENERE per l ... Tue, 09 Mar 2021 16:41:00 +0100.

. Il Sangay è uno stratovulcano costantemente attivo nel sud-est dell'Ecuador. Una sua recente eruzione ha letteralmente ricoperto di cenere alcuni villaggi, come si può vedere nelle immagini del video qui sopra.
Centro America disastro naturale: potente eruzione del Vulcano Sangay ... Tue, 09 Mar 2021 09:35:00 +0100.

(Di martedì 9 marzo 2021) eruzione vulcanica notevolissima, è avvenuta nelle ultime 24 ore. I vulcani in eruzione nel nostro Pianeta sono alcune decine. Alcuni di questi sono in grado di generare enormi eruzioni, alcune esplosive, con la ca
...(more)
Lead up to volcanic eruption in Galapagos captured in rare detailTue, 02 Mar 2021 14:42:00 +0100.

"The power of this study is that it's one of the first times we've been able to see a full eruptive cycle in this detail at almost any volcano," said Peter La Femina, associate professor of geosciences at Penn State. "We've monitored Sierra
...(more)
Lead up to volcanic eruption in Galapagos captured in rare detailTue, 02 Mar 2021 12:22:00 +0100.

Hours before the 2018 eruption of Sierra Negra, the Galápagos Islands' largest volcano, an earthquake rumbled and raised the ground more than 6 feet in an instant. The event, which triggered the eruption, was captured in rare detail by an i
...(more)

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Estimated casualties (PAGER)

USGS estimates the number of casualties for each earthquake for the Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response (PAGER) product.
The graph shows the current fatalities estimate.

Exposed population

Data, images, links, services and documents

For this events, GDACS has links to information from the following sources: EC-JRC (32), (2), INGV (2), DesInventar (1), WMO (1), INFORM (2),