INGEOMINAS reported that on 3 November residents in an area to the S of Nevado del Huila observed intense fumarolic activity from at or near the summit that was white in color and turned grayish for short intervals. Residents of Wila, Tóez, and Plan de Caloto, to the SW, reported ashfall and strong sulfur odors.

Geological Summary. Nevado del Huila, the highest peak in the Colombian Andes, is an elongated N-S-trending volcanic chain mantled by a glacier icecap. The andesitic-dacitic volcano was constructed within a 10-km-wide caldera. Volcanism at Nevado del Huila has produced six volcanic cones whose ages in general migrated from south to north. The high point of the complex is Pico Central. Two glacier-free lava domes lie at the southern end of the volcanic complex. The first historical activity was an explosive eruption in the mid-16th century. Long-term, persistent steam columns had risen from Pico Central prior to the next eruption in 2007, when explosive activity was accompanied by damaging mudflows.

Source: Servicio Geológico Colombiano (SGC)