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Satellite images of Popocatepetl volcano (c)Google Earth View

Popocatépetl volcano

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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Popocatépetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update: occasional small explosions, strong steaming

Monday Aug 20, 2012 12:05 PM | BY: T

SO2 plume from Popocatépetl on 19 Aug 2012 (NOAA)

Activity of the volcano has decreased again after a strong peak of frequent although small explosions on 18 Aug. During the 24 hours of observation between 11 am on 18 Aug and 11 am on 19 Aug, CENAPRED counted 89 small explosions, but only 5 during the 9 hours between 11:00 and 20:00 yesterday.
The stronger explosions on 18 and 19 Aug produced ash plumes and ejected incandescent bombs, such as the ones at 11:16, 15:35, 16:34, 17:44 and 20:52 local time on 18 Aug and one at 04:36 on 19 Aug.
A strong SO2 plume was visible on yesterday's NOAA SO2-monitoring satellite image.

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Popocatépetl volcano (Mexico): increase of activity

Sunday, Aug 19, 2012

A sharp increase in activity has been observed at Popocatépetl since yesterday. During 17-18 August, 176 mostly small explosions were observed (compared to values of 10-20 for the previous week), and 74 alone during the following 9 hours, i.e. about 1 every 8 minutes. ... [more]

Popocatépetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update: weak ash and steam emissions (1 per1-2 hours), steaming, crater glow

Friday, Aug 17, 2012

16 weak explosions have occurred during 24 hours between 16-17 Aug, and a 1 km high steam plume rises above the crater. [more]

Popocatépetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update: weak ash and steam emissions (1 per 2-3 hours), crater glow

Thursday, Aug 16, 2012

Visible activity at Popo has decreased, with only 1 week explosion (less than 500 m height of steam and ash plume) every 2-3 hours recently. The summit lava dome is still glowing at night. ... [more]

Popocatépetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update: 1-2 weak explosions per hour

Tuesday, Aug 14, 2012

Activity has been increasing, with now 1-2 weak explosions per hour. The most significant one was at 15:47 local time yesterday, CENAPRED reports. Weak tremor and perhaps increased activity after 22:00 local time can be seen on the seismic plot. [more]

Popocatépetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update

Monday, Aug 13, 2012

Activity remains low. About 1 weak eruption per hour has been observed during the past day by CENAPRED. SO2 emissions remain high (which is typical for Popo during phases of activity). [more]

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.

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Source: GVP, Smithsonian Institution - Popocatepetl information