Popocatepetl is one of Mexico's most active volcanoes. After almost 50 years of dormancy, "Popo" came back to life in 1994 and has since then been producing powerful explosions at irregular intervals.
In the past centuries befor European invasions, large eruptions produced giant mud flows that have buried Atzteque settlements, even entire pyramids.
Stratovolcano 5426 m / 17,802 ft
Central Mexico, 19.02°N / -98.62°W Popocatépetl volcano eruptions:
1345-47, 1354, 1363(?), 1488, 1504, 1509(?), 1512, 1518, 1519-23(?), 1528, 1530, 1539-40, 1542, 1548, 1571, 1580, 1590, 1592-94, 1642, 1663-65, 1666-67, 1697, 1720, 1802-04, 1827(?), 1834(?), 1852(?), 1919-22, 1923-24, 1925-27(?), 1933, 1942-43, 1947, 1994-95, 1996-2003, 2004-ongoing Typical eruption style: Dominantly explosive, construction of lava domes. Plinian eruptions at intervals of several centuries or few thousands of years, vulcanian and strombolian activity in intermittent phases.
Popocatépetl webcams / live data Last earthquakes nearby
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Posted By: Andrew [109.157.205.215] on Feb 22, 2013 01:24PM
Duration
How long did this last for
Posted By: Big Mike [72.193.45.86] on Nov 15, 2012 07:37PM
quake 6.0 not far from this volcano
Posted: Nov 15, 2012 2:01 AM PST
Updated: Nov 15, 2012 4:21 AM PST
MEXICO CITY (AP) - A magnitude-6.0 earthquake set off alarms in Mexico's capital Today
Activity has been showing an increase today. Yesterday, CENPRED reported near-continuous emissions of steam and gas and sometimes ash. Some larger explosions occurred at 12:13 h and at 12:34 h local time yesterday. Both produced an eruption column about 1.3 km high and drifting west. Bright glow and strong steaming are currently visible from the webcam images. ...more
A total of 3 hours of spasmodic tremor of low to medium amplitude were recorded yesterday. In addition there were two volcanotectonic earthquakes, one at 13:09 h of magnitude 2.1 and another at 15:55 h of magnitude 1.8 (local times). [less]
Activity has been a bit calmer over the past 2 days, but the number of emissions and small explosions (about 3 per hour) remains elevated. Explosions ejected incandescent fragments to heights of 500 m above the crater. Strong glow is visible at the volcano's summit at night. Intermittent phases of volcanic tremor and volcanic earthquakes of magnitude up to 2.1 have been registered. The volcanic alert level remains at YELLOW Phase 3.
Aerial view of the lava dome in Popo's crater on 18 May (CENAPRED)
Activity remains elevated, but the number and size of explosions have decreased during the past 2 days. CENAPRED made an overflight and found that the series of recent explosions since 14 May, in particular the two that occurred on the night of the 16th to 17th, have excavated a crater of approx. 200 m diameter and 40 m depth in the lava dome. The rest of the dome's surface is covered by fragments from the explosions.
Activity remains intense. Last night at 22:14 and this morning at 00:29 h local time, two strong explosions occurred and ejected incandescent fragments on all the volcano´s flanks to distances of up to 1,500 m from the crater. The explosions triggered an eruption plume rising at least 3 km above the volcano, drifting northeast.
Activity remains elevated and ash plumes from frequent explosions of moderate size reach 26,000 ft (8 km) altitude, drifting NE. Ash fall occurred in Paso de Cortés, north of the volcano. ...more
This morning, many explosions were observed ejecting incandescent material to maximum distances of 400 m mainly on the north and north-east flanks. Several pulses of high frequency tremor of low amplitude accompanied the emissions. [less]
Relatively strong explosions occurred last night (at 20:21 h local time 14 May) and this morning at 01:46 h (local time). Both eruptions generated columns of steam and ash rising 3 km and the latter explosion ejected incandescent fragments over all the volcano flanks to maximum distances of 1,500 m. ...more
Some episodes of harmonic tremor preceded the explosion at 01:46 h, which was followed by an episode of spasmodic tremor of medium and high amplitudes until 04:40 h. Later, other 30 minutes of this type of tremor of lesser energy were registered. The tremor episode were accompanied by the emission of incandescent fragments to maximum distances of 500 m on the north and northeast flanks. [less]
Aerial view of the growing lava dome in Popo's crater (CENAPRED)
Current view of Popo from the south
Activity remains elevated as new magma continues to rise to the summit at increased rate. The volcano produces intense steaming and occasional explosions that generate steam and ash plumes up to 3 km height and throw incandescent blocks to distances of 700 m. Phases of moderate continuous tremor and several volcano-tectonic earthquakes up to magnitudes 2 accompany this process. Authorities are starting preparations for evacuations should it further increase. ...more
CENAPRED made an aerial survey flight yesterday morning and observed that the lava dome has grown significantly and is now 350 m in diameter and 50 m thick. After an explosion at 9:56 (local time 14 May), it could be seen that the dome had slightly deflated, although it did not diminish considerably in volume. This event might represent the beginning of the dome´s destruction. [less]
Activity at the volcano continues to increase. A relatively long phase of strong volcanic tremor today and high levels of SO2 output suggests that the rise of magma is accelerating. A continuous plume of steam and some ash was observed last night reaching 1 km high, in addition to intermittent explosions. Lava glow at night is now strong.
The activity continued to increase over the past days and CENAPRED raised the alert level to Yellow Phase 3 this morning. The volcano has been producing frequent sequences of continuous steam and ash emissions as well as discrete vulcanian-type explosions that throw glowing bombs to several hundred meters distance from the crater and create ash plumes up to about 2 km high. ...more
A phase of strong volcanic tremor occurred today and a large SO2 plume visible on NOAA satellite data accompanies increase lava output rate. [less]
On 9 May, 28 explosions were noted from the volcano, the largest were at 05:16 and 07:01 am. Incandescence was seen at night. Several periods of harmonic tremor were noted in the reporting period. A gas and steam plume drifted SE.
A significant increase in activity occurred at the volcano. Starting at 19:28 h local time yesterday, volcanic tremor of high amplitude has been recorded for 3.5 hours and accompanied by strong steam and ash emissions creating an eruption column rising 3 km. Explosions ejected incandescent fragments to distances of 700 m from the crater. ...more
The eruption plume drifted ESE and caused ash fall in areas of the villages of San Juan Tianguismanalco, San Pedro Benito Juárez and the City of Puebla. It is possible that more ash fall will be reported from other villages in the east, south-east (Atlixco) and south (Tochimilco). [less]
No changes occurred in the volcano's slow effusive/explosive activity. Emissions of steam and gas, with minor ash contents, have been at rates of less than 1 per hour during the previous days, but continuing lava glow can be seen from the summit.
Some small earthquake swarms have occurred at the volcano in the past days, probably associated with some batches of fresh magma intruding into the system at shallow depth. ...more
This resulted in increased degassing, visible as a significant SO2 plume on NOAA satellite data. Surface activity, however, has remained low with very few emissions and only faint glow at the summit. [less]
Activity has decreased again to average levels of the past months. CENPARED reported less than 1 weak steam-gas-ash emission per hour during the 24 hours since yesterday. A slightly more powerful explosion this morning produced an ash plume rising 800 m and ejected incandescent bombs onto the NE crater rim.
Activity at the volcano has picked up in the past 48 hours. Following an earthquake swarm on Saturday with volcanic-tectonic quakes of magnitudes up to 2.3, which was probably the result of a new magma batch rising, an increase in small emissions occurred yesterday with 71 events registered during 24 hours. ...more
The largest emission yesterday (at 10:33 local time) produced a steam and ash plume rising 1.2 km above the crater and drifted NE. A similar earthquake swarm is visible on today's seismograph (but CENAPRED's report about this will only be available later today). [less]
Activity is on the increase again at the volcano, which currently is producing a strong steam plume illuminated by the glowing lava in the summit crater. ...more
This rise in activity was preceded by a moderate explosion late on 24 April (which could not be observed due to cloud cover) and during yesterday, the rate of small to moderate emissions of gas-steam-ash rose to about two per hour. CENAPRED recorded periods of strong harmonic tremor as well as a volcanic-tectonic earthquake of magnitude 2.0 yesterday morning. [less]
A moderate-sized explosion occurred yesterday, producing an ash plume rising 1.2 km and throwing incandescent bombs to 500 m distance on the outer flanks of the volcano. Small explosions occur at an average rate of one per hour and a large steam plume is often rising to about 1 km above the crater. Incandescence continues to be visible at night at the crater. ...more
Small volcano-tectonic earthquakes have been relatively frequent during the past days as well. [less]
View of Popocatepetl's glowing summit crater this morning
Activity continues with no significant changes: weak emissions of steam/gas/ash occur at rates of approx. once per hour, and glow at night shows that magma continues to arrive slowly in the summit crater.
Activity has decreased to about one emission of gas/steam/minor amounts of ash per hour over the past few days. Glow remains visible at night from the crater.
A stronger-then-usual explosion occurred last night (23:23 h local time) and produced a plume of ash rising about 2 km above the crater. Incandescent fragments were thrown to distances of 900 m. ...more
During the day, CENPRED recorded several weak phases of tremor, accompanied by emissions of steam, gas and sometimes ash occurring at rates of approx. 1 per hour. CENAPRED published a picture of the crater taken during an overflight on 16 April, showing a flat "cake-like" patch of moderately viscous lava present in the crater. [less]
Activity has dropped a bit but remains essentially unchanged. CENPRED reported 1-2 emissions of steam and minor ash amounts per hour today, a steam and gas plume rising up to 1 km as well as continuing glow at the crater.
The volcano remains in a state of elevated activity. Phases of medium to strong tremor occurred this morning at the volcano, although these were not associated by significant changes in the current observed activity: CENAPRED reported near-continuous degassing / steaming, and 35 emissions over the past 24 hours, the strongest of which ejected incandescent fragments out of the crater and produced small ash plumes rising up to 1.5 km height above the crater. ...more
Moderate glow from the growing lava dome remains visible at night. [less]
Another, but weaker episode of strong volcanic tremor and near-continuous emissions occurred yesterday at 15:50 (local time), creating a plume of steam, gas and ash rising 900 m and drifting NE. After a few hours, activity decreased again to individual small explosions at a rate of about 1 per hour, such as one captured on the webcam a few minutes ago.
Yesterday and during the night, the volcano experienced a phase of continuous emissions and explosions that ejected incandescent tephra onto the upper outer slopes of the volcano and created a plume of steam and some ash rising 500 m above the volcano. This was accompanied by strong tremor as well. ...more
At the moment, activity has again calmed down significantly. Glow at the summit shows that the lava dome continues to grow. [less]
Current webcam image of Popocatépetl seen from the south (CENAPRED)
Current seismic signal from Popocatépetl
A phase of stronger, continuous emissions has started short time ago, accompanied by strong tremor. Over the past days, the volcano had been relatively calm, with 1-2 weak gas-steam-ash explosions per hour.
Activity has increased yesterday to about 3 emissions per hour and occasional small explosions creating plumes rising up to 500 m. Glow at the summit indicates continuing lava dome growth.
No significant changes have occurred recently, but the volcano has been a bit calmer again yesterday and today, with an average of 1-2 weak emissions per hour.
The rate of small to modest emissions dropped from 80 (yeesterday) to 36 today during the respective past 24 hours intervals. The largest explosion during the day occurred at 11:36 local time, and produced a plume with some ash content rising 2 km and drifting east. ...more
At the moment, continuous degassing can be seen on the webcam. [less]
Activity has again been a bit elevated during the past two days and corresponds to increased SO2 emissions and frequent small quakes and/or tremor signals on the seismogram. ...more
CENAPRED reports that during 31 Mar-1 April, Popocatépetl produced small explosions at a rate of about 2 per hour, which merged into a continuous gas and ash emission yesterday morning at 5:16 am (local time) that lasted an hour. Explosions at 8:22, 8:39 an 9:55 am produced ash plumes rising more than 2 km and drifted east, where probably light ash fall occurred. A volcanic-tectonic quake of magnitude 2.0 was recorded at 14:09 h on 31 March. [less]
Volcán Popocatépetl, whose name is the Aztec word for smoking mountain, towers to 5426 m 70 km SE of Mexico City to form North America's 2nd-highest volcano. The glacier-clad stratovolcano contains a steep-walled, 250-450 m deep crater. The generally symmetrical volcano is modified by the sharp-peaked Ventorrillo on the NW, a remnant of an earlier volcano. At least three previous major cones were destroyed by gravitational failure during the Pleistocene, producing massive debris-avalanche deposits covering broad areas south of the volcano. The modern volcano was constructed to the south of the late-Pleistocene to Holocene El Fraile cone. Three major plinian eruptions, the most recent of which took place about 800 AD, have occurred from Popocatépetl since the mid Holocene, accompanied by pyroclastic flows and voluminous lahars that swept basins below the volcano. Frequent historical eruptions, first recorded in Aztec codices, have occurred since precolumbian time.
