The Richter scale is applied to earthquakes, not volcanoes. The 1985 eruption was a VEI 3 on the Volcanic Explosivity Index.
The most destructive eruption of Nevado del Ruiz occurred on November 13, 1985. While relatively small, the eruption triggered mudflows that buried several towns. Worst hit was Armero, where 21,000 people died.
the nevado del ruiz volcano killed about 23000 people on November 13th.Only about 5000 out of the original 28000 people living in the nearby city of amero survived. The volcano also injured 5000 people.
It is impossible to predict when a volcano's next eruptiopn will be.
some lost their families and were scarred for life !! many injured and over 23000 died.
From all the research I've done I have figured out that it had something to do with the shifting of the tectonic plate it sits on but I'm afraid that's about as detailed as it gets :/
The volcano mountain called 'Nevado del Ruiz', or 'La Mesa del Herveo' is located at about 129 kilometers to the west of Bogota, the capital city of Colombia. It's an active volcano that had its last eruption in the year 2013 and has an elevation of 5,321 m or 17,457 ft.
some peeps were killed which was sad:'( then all their houses were damaged too so it was like man it's completely over for me innit. boooo hoooo! oh well;) anyways, eeem what was the question again? oh yeah. well that's all i can think of. hope this has helped. seeeyaaaa's peeeps!;) {xxxxxxxxxxxx}
When a volcano erupts, it releases volcanic ash. This ash is very high in nutrients that is useful to plants. Yes, volcanoes do distroy areas but the ash from this distruction helps new plants to grow.
Nevado del Ruiz formed in association with a subduction zone, where the Nazca plate, composed of oceanic crust, slides under the South American Plate, composed of continental crust. The subducting Nazca Plate dakes some water and other "volatile" substances with it. This lowers the melting point of the superheated rocks of Earth's mantle, causing some molten rock, called magma, to rise through the crust of the overriding South American Plate. This magma is released to the survace via volcanoes, one of which is Nevado del Ruiz. Over many thousands of years the ash and lava flows produced by the volcano have piled up to form a mountain.
The Nevado del Ruiz volcano is located on a destructive plate boundary whereby the dense, oceanic Nazca plate is being subducted under the less dense, continental South American plate. The melted rock from the Oceanic plate rises to the surface, the pressure builds until the magma erupts from the volcano. It is a composite or strato volcano meaning it is made up of layers of solidified lava and pyroclasic material.
Around 2,500 deaths were caused by the most serious eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano in 1985. The town of Armero was covered in a mass of mud and debris (or lahar) which the volcano produced.
The causes of the Nevado Del Ruiz eruptions
1) location (intersection of four fault lines -- as if one fault line wasn't bad enough)
2) occurrence of small earthquakes
3) spewing of gas and steam
4) phreatic eruptions
5) pyroclastic eruptions
In consequence, the town of Armero was destroyed, and thousands of people were killed or left homeless.
BY AISHA ARIFFrom all the research I've done I have figured out that it had something to do with the shifting of the tectonic plate it sits on but I'm afraid that's about as detailed as it gets :/