The Deadliest Volcano in the Western Hemisphere Might Be Waking Up

A volcano that's been inactive since 1985 is showing signs of activity.

The Nevado del Ruiz volcano has been inactive since 1985, but it’s begun showing signs of activity lately.

As a result, the volcano’s alert level has been raised from yellow to orange, the second-highest level on the scale. Residents on the upper slopes of the volcano are currently being evacuated, out of fear of a possible eruption.

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The last time the Nevado del Ruiz volcano was active, it erupted and killed 23,000 people in Colombia, wiping out the town of Armero in the process.

Last week,the volcano registered an unprecedented average of 6,000 earthquakes per day, reports MSN, which attributes the movement to magma moving through the main fault system. Before this occurrence, the average was 50 per day.

On peak days, Colombia's Geological Service reports there have been up to 12,000 earthquakes, though it notes “the number of daily earthquakes alone is not the only indicator that measures the behavior of a volcano.” The agency also noted that on Sunday, there was a decrease in tremor activity.