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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: weak explosions (1 every 2 hours), tremor pulses

Tuesday Sep 11, 2012 14:05 PM | BY: T

Current seismogram from Popocatépetl

10 weak explosions were registered during the past 24 hours, but it was not possible to see whether they contained ash. The largest were at 20:01h, 20:42h yesterday and this morning at 10:39h local time. CENAPRED also recorded weak tremor pulses and some small quakes are visible on the current seismogram.

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Previous news

Popocatépetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update: steaming, weak explosions

Monday, Sep 10, 2012

No change has occurred at Popo. CENAPRED recorded 28 weak explosions during 24 hours. When the volcano is not hidden in clouds, a strong steam plume is visible. [more]

Popocatépetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update

Sunday, Sep 09, 2012

The number of weak steam explosions has increased to slightly more than one per hour again, but direct observations were not possible due to cloud cover. NOAA's satellite images show a significant SO2 plume from the volcano as usual. [more]

Popocatépetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update: weak explosions (about 1 per 2-3 hours), crater glow

Saturday, Sep 08, 2012

Over the past 24 hours, weak mostly steam explosions occur at an rate of 1 every 2-3 hours. At night, glowing material ejected during such explosions can be sometimes seen. [more]

Popocatépetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update: weak explosions (about 1 per hour), crater glow

Wednesday, Sep 05, 2012

Activity has remained stable with about 1 weak mostly steam explosion per hour. The crater is weakly glowing at night suggesting that slow growth of the lava dome continues. A significant SO2 plume is being emitted. [more]

Popocatépetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update: alert level lowered to Yellow-Phase 2

Sunday, Sep 02, 2012

Activity has been stable with relatively few and weak explosions of mostly steam (about 1 per hour). CENAPRED decreased the alert level of Popocatépetl to Yellow Phase 2. [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