Galeras (
Urcunina among the 16th-century
indigenous people) is an
Andean stratovolcano in the
Colombian department of
Nariño, near the departmental capital
Pasto. Its summit rises above
sea level. It has erupted frequently since the
Spanish conquest, with its first historical eruption being recorded on December 7, 1580. A 1993 eruption killed nine people, including six scientists who had descended into the volcano's crater to sample gases and take gravity measurements in an attempt to be able to predict future eruptions. It is currently the most active volcano in Colombia.