Researchers have recorded 6 low-intensity explosions, 14 landslides and constant emanations of water vapor and gases in recent days at the Colima Volcano.
On April 26, after 26 months of inactivity, the volcano increased its seismic activity considerably.
On May 11 an explosion occurred that started the crater breaking.
One month later, on June 11, another explosion occurred that could be captured by the thermal camera of the University Center for Vulcanological Studies, located 10.5 kilometers from the crater, on the south side of the volcano.
“And as of that date, we have had many others of very low intensity, one of them was that of June 11. And that indicates that the state of activity of the volcano changed as of May 11, we have this cycle of very small explosions,” said Raúl Arámbula Mendoza, director of the University Center for Volcanological Studies.
As a precaution, the authorities keep the volcanic traffic light in yellow and the exclusion zone in 8 kilometers from the top of the crater, for the states of Colima and Jalisco.
In Colima, works began to de-water the riverbeds and streams that flow very close to communities identified as high risk during the rainy season.
The works are carried out on the channel of the river “La Lumbre” and the streams “El Cordobán” and “El Zarco”, which regularly flow through towns of Colima and Jalisco, located in the volcanic zone.
The objective is to prevent avalanches of mud, rocks and volcanic material, which are formed each year and flow from the highest parts of the Volcano of Colima and can affect populations located in the vicinity of these bodies of water in Colima and Jalisco.
These avalanches, also known as lahars, are common in the rainy season.
Scientists from the University of Colima warned that in the high parts of the volcano there is a large number of rocks and ash, which could be displaced by the rains.
In the 2018 hurricane season, 15 lahars fell, none of which caused any damage.
