Patricio Ramon

• MS
• National Polytechnic School

The physiochemical properties of volcanic ash are determined by magma ascent and eruption dynamics and provide important insights into controls on the timing and style of volcanic eruptions. However, linking petrological observations to monitoring parameters remains challenging. Here we investigate the relationships between geophysical, geochemical...

Shifts in activity at long-active, open-vent volcanoes are difficult to forecast because precursory signals are enigmatic and can be lost in and amongst daily activity. Here, we propose that crater and vent morphologies, along with summit height, can help us bring some insights into future activity at one of Ecuador’s most active volcanoes El Reven...

The Instituto Geofísico (IG-EPN) was created in 1983 by faculty of the Escuela Politécnica Nacional, a public university in Quito, Ecuador, with the objective of assessing volcanic hazard in the country. Since then, the IG-EPN has established and developed an instrumental monitoring network and from 1999 has faced the eruption of five continental-a...

Monitoring the evolution of lava flows is a challenging task for volcano observatories, especially in remote volcanic areas. Here we present a near real-time (every 12 h) and free tool for producing interactive thermal maps of the advance of lava flows over time by taking advantage of the free thermal data provided by FIRMS and the open-source R so...

The volcanoes of Galápagos, Ecuador, are among the most active in the world, with an average of five eruptions per decade. Monitoring and communication of their activity are essential for timely management of events. In this context, the Instituto Geofísico de la Escuela Politécnica Nacional carries out constant surveillance of Galápagos volcanoes...

Sangay is one of the most active volcanoes in Ecuador, as it has been almost continuously erupting at least since the seventeenth century. However, because of its remote location and low associated risk to human population, little is known about its eruptions. Here we summarize Sangay’s volcanic activity from January 2001 to May 2020, based on grou...

Noventa y ocho volcanes cuaternarios han sido identificados en los Andes ecuatorianos y Galápagos de los cualesnueve han experimentado erupciones al menos una vez en los últimos veinte años. Adicionalmente, alrededor del35 % de la población ecuatoriana vive en zonas que podrían ser afectadas durante futuras erupciones. El InstitutoGeofísico de la E...

Ninety-eight Quaternary volcanoes have been identified in the Ecuadorian Andes and the Galápagos Islands, from them, nine experienced at least one eruption in the last twenty years. Additionally, about 35 % of the Ecuadorian population live in areas that could be affected by future volcanic eruptions. The Instituto Geofísico of the Escuela Politécn...

As part of the Acoustic Surveillance for Hazardous Eruptions project, two infrasound arrays were installed in northern and central Ecuador. The RIOE and LITE arrays were operational between 2006 and 2013, recording thousands of infrasound signals originating from eruptions of Tungurahua, El Reventador, and Sangay. We use Progressive Multi-Channel C...

Volcanic activity is always accompanied by the transfer of heat from the Earth’s crust to the atmosphere. This heat can be measured from space and its measurement is a very useful tool for detecting volcanic activity on a global scale. MIROVA (Middle Infrared Observation of Volcanic Activity) is an automatic volcano hot spot detection system, based...

Tungurahua (5023m asl) is an active andesitic stratovolcano, part of the Main Volcanic Arc of the Ecuadorian Andes, located in the Eastern Cordillera, whose last eruptive processes was registered between 1999- 2016. In this work, we designed a methodology to study the geomorphological evolution of the Tungurahua crater and its relationship with vol...

El Reventador is currently the most active volcano in Ecuador. When this volcano (whose name translates as the Exploder) erupts, it sends incandescent rock projectiles into the air, along with ash columns approximately 3 kilometers high. The volcano also releases significant amounts of lava flows, volcanic bombs, and ash from flow and fall deposits...

The 1982 and 2015 eruptions were the first at Wolf volcano, Galápagos Archipelago, with eyewitness accounts and satellite imagery. Both eruptions were characterized by a rapid and intense initial phase, with multiple eruptive vents, leading to the formation of large ‘a‘ā lava fields and scarce pāhoehoe mostly associated with the waning phases. The...

Currently, it is fairly widespread to use smartphones or tablets on field surveys to collect and geolocate damage data. However, geolocation is not a straight forward process and may give inaccurate results such as, for example when the size of the object to be surveyed is relatively small or the coverage of the satellite constellation (e.g. GPS) i...

The 1982 and 2015 eruptions are the first at Wolf volcano, Galápagos Archipelago, with eyewitness accounts and satellite imagery. Both eruptions are characterized by a rapid, intense initial phase and multiple eruptive vents leading to the formation of large ‘a‘ā lava fields with scarce pāhoehoe deposits, mostly associated with the waning phases. T...

After eight years of quiescence, Fernandina volcano experienced two short-lived eruptions, on 4 September 2017 and 16 June 2018. The eruptions were characterized by very short periods of unrest that started a few hours before the initiation of the eruptive activity. On the other hand, Sierra Negra volcano (Isabela Island) began a new eruptive perio...

A new eruptive period began on September/4/2017 in Fernandina volcano, which is located at the western end of the Galápagos Archipelago. Fernandina is a very active basaltic volcano, with at least 25 reported historical eruptions (1813 – 2009). Between March/2015 and September/2017 in radar satellite interferograms an inflation of ~17 cm was observ...

Cities

After eight years of quiescence, Fernandina volcano experienced two short-lived eruptions, on 4 September 2017 and 16 June 2018. The eruptions were characterized by very short periods of unrest that started a few hours before the initiation of the eruptive activity. On the other hand, Sierra Negra volcano (Isabela Island) began a new eruptive perio...

El Reventador volcano, 100 km East of Quito, Ecuador, experienced a rapid onset VEI 4 eruption in November 2002. The last 15 years of intermittent periods of explosive and effusive activity continues to the present. Since 2012 there has been a different pattern in the type of events registered, specifically with an increase in processes associated...

We characterize and interpret a new type of infrasound signal originating from the summit of Volcán Cotopaxi (Ecuador) that was primarily observed between September 2015 and March 2016, following the 2015 eruptive period. This infrasound waveform is a slowly decaying sinusoid with exceptional low-frequency (f p = 0.2 Hz) and high quality factor (Q...

During the April 16th 2016 Mw 7.8 earthquake in Ecuador, Portoviejo city suffered severe damage, mainly in its commercial district where the largest buildings were clustered. In this study we profit from the frequent occurrence of aftershocks during the weeks/months after the main shock in order to determine the site effects in the city. A new appr...

Currently, even in socioeconomically deprived areas, useful data for earthquake risk assessment is present. The problem in fact is that those data need extensive preprocessing before being used for risk analyses. Although this situation preclude their use for quick response in emergency situations, detailed studies can be conducted with ample time...

In order to obtain sound risk assessments, it is important to quantify, among others, building characteristics and socioeconomic and environmental, attributes of the potential impacted area. Risk assessment studies conducted at detailed scale (individual dwellings) are not common because of difficulties in getting the appropriate data both, at the...

Sumaco Volcano is located in the rear-arc of Ecuador and produces phonolitic alkaline lavas hosting a unique assemblage of minerals including haüyne and titanaugite. The most mafic lavas are picrobasalts that contain titanaugite as the primary mineral phase; the most evolved tephri-phonolite lavas contain titanaugite + anorthoclase + haüyne. Titana...

We use infrasound waves generated during eruptions of Volcán Tungurahua (Ecuador) to study both, changing atmospheric conditions and volcanic source characteristics. Analyzed infrasound data were recorded for a 32-month period by a five-station network located within 6.5. km from the vent. We use cross-network correlation to quantify the recurrent...

Son conocidos como “Vigias” los voluntarios locales y líderes en sus comunidades. Una de sus funciones es reportar por un sistema de radio UHF sus observaciones visuales y auditivas relacionadas a la actividad superficial del volcán. Además colaboran en el mantenimiento, limpieza, recolección de datos e instalación de las estaciones de monitoreo de...

Major volcanic eruptions usually cause significant changes in the morphology of volcanic craters. Explosive eruptions can easily erode crater walls, while ballistics blocks, proximal tephra fallout and other pyroclastic materials could partially or totally fill it. Effusive eruptions, either by lava-dome or -flow emplacement, can as well produce ne...

Cotopaxi volcano, Ecuador, experienced notable restlessness in 2015 that was a major deviation from its normal background activity. Starting in April and continuing through November 2015 strong seismic activity, infrasound registry, hikes in SO2 degassing and flank deformation with small displacements were some of the geophysical anomalies that wer...

The ongoing eruptive cycle of Tungurahua volcano (Ecuador) since 1999 has been characterised by over 15 paroxysmal phases interrupted by periods of relative calm. Those phases included one Subplinian as well as several Strombolian and Vulcanian eruptions and they generated tephra fallouts, pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) and lava flows. The 1 F...

Cayambe is a potentially active volcano located atop the Eastern Cordillera of the Ecuadorian Andes. In mid-2016 the monitoring network of the Instituto Geofísico de la Escuela Politécnica Nacional (IGEPN) detected seismic unrest and incipient flank deformation. These changes were communicated to emergency agencies, authorities and the community at...

Cayambe is a potentially active volcano located atop the Eastern Cordillera of the Ecuadorian Andes. In mid-2016 the monitoring network of the Instituto Geofísico de la Escuela Politécnica Nacional (IGEPN) detected seismic unrest and incipient flank deformation. These changes were communicated to emergency agencies, authorities and the community at...

Abstract (7.8 Mw Earthquake on 16 April 2016: Site effects and Spectral Responses in Portoviejo, Ecuador): In this studywe present a methodology to estimate accelerograms and spectral responses for the Portoviejo city, which suffered severedamage during the 7.8 Mw earthquake, on 16 April 2016. To contribute to the understanding of the observed dama...

Abstract. The ongoing eruptive cycle of Tungurahua volcano (Ecuador) since 1999 has been characterized by over 15 paroxysmal phases interrupted by periods of relative calm. Those phases included Strombolians, Vulcanians and one Subplinian eruptions and they generated tephra fallouts, pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) and lava flows. The 01 Februa...

The length of the insulators strings determines the insulation level of electric transmission towers. The electrical insulators behave differently depending on environmental conditions. Particle pollution is one of the most important to consider for the degradation of electrical insulation but it is difficult to estimate. Recently, Cotopaxi and Tun...

El Reventador is an active volcano located (77.658W, 0.080S) in the Eastern cordillera of Ecuador. The still ongoing eruptive period began on November 3th 2002 with a VEI 4 eruption which produced numerous pyroclastic flows descending the NE and SE flanks of the active cone (?55.106 m3 bulk volume) and a tephra column rising about 16-17 km above th...

Following 84 years of repose, Tungurahua volcano, Ecuador initiated its present eruptive episode in October 1999, but its PDC activity only began in July 2006. A period of highly energetic Vulcanian eruptions started in 2012, those of 14 July 2013, 18 October 2013, and 1 February 2014 being the most important. These eruptions were well-monitored by...

Tungurahua volcano (Ecuador) develops an ongoing eruptive cycle since 1999. The cycle has been characterized by >15 paroxysmal phases with Strombolian, Vulcanian and a Subplinian eruption generating tephra fall, lava flows and pyroclastic density currents (PDCs), interrupted by periods of relative calm. The February 1st, 2014 eruption was the first...

In 2015 Cotopaxi volcano, Ecuador experienced notable restlessness which was a major deviation from its normal background levels. Beginning in April and continuing through November 2015 strong seismic activity, infrasound registry, hikes in SO2 degassing and flank deformation with small displacements were some of the geophysical characteristics reg...

Tropical glaciers may be the source of secondary lahars related to seismic, volcanic and metereological phenomena (e.g. Carihuayrazo 1698, Huascarán 1970, Altar 2000, Tungurahua 2001, Cotopaxi 2015). Chimborazo volcano (1.47S, 78.81W, 6268 m asl) located 150 km SW of Quito, capital of Ecuador is a potentially active volcano with an important icecap...

Antisana volcano is representative of many active andesitic strato-volcanoes of Pleistocene age in Ecuador's Eastern Cordillera. This study represents the first modern geological and volcanological investigation of Antisana since the late 1890's; it also summarizes the present geochemical understanding of its genesis. The volcano's development incl...

The glaciers located on Cotopaxi and Chimborazo volcanoes in the Ecuadorian Andes, have lost a total ice area of 54.8% and 69% in the last 50 years. This long term trend is well correlated to observed climatic changes in the region. However, the area losses have been enhanced by the activity of Volcán Tungurahua since 1999 and more recently, by the...

Lahares secundarios en el flanco sur-oriental del volcán Chimborazo

Cotopaxi volcano (5,897 m) is located 50 km south of Quito, the capital of Ecuador. The most dangerous hazards of this volcano are the devastating lahars that can be generated by the melting of its ice cap during pyroclastic flow-forming eruptions. The first seismic station was installed in 1976. Cotopaxi has been monitored by the Instituto Geofísi...

Cotopaxi (5897 m), located about 50 km south of Quito (Ecuador), is one of the most active volcanoes in the Andes and its historical eruptions have caused a great impact on the population by the generation of lahars along its three main drainages (N, S, E). Starting on April 2015 the seismic monitoring networks and the SO2 gas detection network in...

Estimates of lava volume, and thus effusion rate, are critical for assessing volcanic hazard and are a priority for volcano observatories with responsibility for monitoring. The choice of specific methods used to approximate lava volume depends on both volcanological and practical considerations; in particular, whether field measurements are possib...

After 33 years of quiescence, Wolf volcano, located in the northernmost tip of Isabela Island (Galápagos Islands, Ecuador), started a new eruption on May 25, 2015. The first signs of activity were recorded at 5:50 UTC (23:50 on May 24, Local Time in Galápagos) by a seismic station installed on Fernandina island. The first visual observation was rep...

Following 84 years of repose, Tungurahua volcano, Ecuador initiated its present eruptive episode in October 1999, but its PDC activity only began in July 2006. A period of highly energetic Vulcanian eruptions started in 2012, those of 14 July 2013, 18 October 2013, and 1 February 2014 being the most important. These eruptions were well-monitored by...

Pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) from Tungurahua volcano, Ecuador, recurrently rush down the northern Vazcún valley and threaten the small tourist city of Baños located on its mouth. Estimating PDC hazards, i.e. PDC return rate and extent, is difficult in Baños and Vazcún because data from the literature are rare and debated, while geological ex...

Originally prepared for the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, this is the first comprehensive assessment of global volcanic hazards and risk, presenting the state of the art in our understanding of global volcanic activity. It examines our assessment and management capabilities, and considers the preparedness of the global scientif...

We have implemented volcanic-surveillance systems based on thermal imaging at El Reventador and Tungurahua volcanoes (Ecuador), which provide the capability to compare visible-range images with the correspondent apparent-temperature images at near real time. The installed equipment consists on a netcam that shows real time images, and a thermal cam...

El Reventador volcano, located in the Ecuadorian Subandean Zone, is one of the most active volcanoes in this country. In continuous activity since 2002, El Reventador is responsible for the strongest eruption in the last 125 years in Ecuador (VEI 4). After its reactivation, seismic, infrasound, lahar, visual and infrared monitoring instrumentation...

The successful handling of Tungurahua’s frequent eruptions during 15 years via permanent instrumental monitoring and good community relations by the Instituto Geofísico of the Escuela Politécnica Nacional (IGEPN) is due to these factors: 1./ Instrumental monitoring of Tungurahua volcano by the IGEPN started a decade before the 1999 reactivation. In...

Long-lived episodic volcanic eruptions share the risk characteristics of other forms of extensive hazard (such as flood, drought or landslides). They also have the capacity for escalations to high intensity, high impact events. Volcán Tungurahua in the Ecuadorian Andes has been in eruption since 1999. The management of risk in areas surrounding the...

In 1988, the Instituto Geofisico (IG) began a permanent surveillance of Ecuadorian volcanoes, and due to activity on Guagua Pichincha, SP seismic stations and EDM control lines were then installed. Later, with the UNDRO and OAS projects, telemetered seismic monitoring was expanded to Tungurahua, Cotopaxi, Cuicocha, Chimborazo, Antisana, Cayambe, Ce...

Tungurahua volcano, located in the Ecuadorian Andes is one of the most active volcanoes in the country. Since its reawakening in 1999, major eruptions occurred in 2001, 2006, 2008, 2010 – 2014 producing regional ashfalls, extensive pyroclastic flows and small lava flows, Violent Vulcanian eruptions began in May of 2010 and since then Tungurahua, pr...

Tungurahua volcano (Ecuador) begun its current cycle of activity in 1999 and has presented periods of variable activity since then. During phases of strong explosive activity, pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) are generated, mostly since 2012. The February 1, 2014 eruption has been one of the biggest of these small volume PDC events. PDCs branche...

Since 2000, a network of volunteers known as vigías has been engaged in community-based volcano monitoring, which involves local citizens in the collection of scientific data, around volcán Tungurahua, Ecuador. This paper provides the first detailed description and analysis of this well-established initiative, drawing implications for volcanic risk...

The deposits of the pyroclastic density currents from the August 2006 eruption of Tungurahua show three facies associations depending on the topographic setting: the massive, proximal cross-stratified, and distal cross-stratified facies. (1) The massive facies is confined to valleys on the slopes of the volcano. It contains clasts of >1 m diameter...

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A series of pyroclastic density currents were generated at Tungurahua volcano (Ecuador) during a period of heightened activity in August 2006. Dense pyroclastic flows were confined to valleys of the drainage network, while dilute pyroclastic density currents overflowed on interfluves where they deposited isolated bodies comprising dune bedforms of...

Pyroclastic fall deposits record many aspects of eruption phenomenology and the study of tephra distributions, thickness, grain-size and vesicularity has proved of utmost relevancy to infer the size, intensity and dynamics of explosive volcanic eruptions. In particular, componentry analyses have great potential in deciphering eruption type, and mag...

a b s t r a c t Long-lasting andesitic eruptions sometimes include strong short-lived explosive events, which can pose significant hazards in populated regions. The origin and dynamics of such violent eruptions remain poorly known and may involve a combination of different factors. Tungurahua volcano, Ecuador, reawakens in 1999 and is an example of...

Tephra fallout has been Tungurahua's most frequent and widespread volcanic hazard since October 1999, directly affecting thousands of residents, disturbing air traffic, and greatly impacting the local agriculture. In order to have near real-time information on the tephra fallout we installed a new low-cost system in seven strategic locations around...

Reventador volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in Ecuador and is responsible for the strongest eruption in the last 150 years (VEI=4) in 2002. Since then Reventador is continuously monitored by the Geophysical Institute (IG) including seismic, geodetic and, thermal instrumentation and also visual and satellite observations. Infrared and dig...

Introducción Fernandina, el volcán más occidental del Archipiélago de Galápagos, experimentó una erupción a principios de abril del 2009 (Fig. 1A), los datos satelitales indicarían que la erupción se inició entre las 22:00 (TU) del 10 de abril y las 00:30 (TU) del 11 de abril. La estación sísmica de la isla Santa Cruz (IRIS) no registró ninguna act...

Introducción Fernandina, el volcán más occidental del Archipiélago de Galápagos, experimentó una erupción a principios de abril del 2009 (Fig. 1A), los datos satelitales indicarían que la erupción se inició entre las 22:00 (TU) del 10 de abril y las 00:30 (TU) del 11 de abril. La estación sísmica de la isla Santa Cruz (IRIS) no registró ninguna act...

Due to the scarcity of local stations, seismicity at the Galapagos Islands is under-represented. Using the ISC catalogue, we found a magnitude of homogeneity of 4.5 mb for the 1970-2010 period. The largest magnitude recorded by the global network in this period is 5.6 mb. In 1996 the Instituto Geofisico installed a seismic network composed of six s...

Tungurahua, one of Ecuador's most active volcanoes, started a new eruptive period in 1999. This activity continues today, with phases of fluctuating magnitude (VEI 1 to 3) and intensity; it has led to several evacuations of the population. The paroxysmal phase occurred in August 2006 and resulted in a volcanic column which rose 15 km above the crat...