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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: frequent but small explosions, strong steaming, crater glow

Tuesday Sep 18, 2012 12:05 PM | BY: T

Popo with glow from the summit seen early on 17 Aug (CENAPRED)

Between 16-17 Sep, the frequency of small explosions peaked with 120 events, i.e. on average 5 per hour and has decreased to 60 during the past 24 hours as stated in the recent CENAPRED report this morning local time. The larger of the explosions produced small ash plumes. Constant glow above the crater is visible at night (s. image).
Episodes of harmonic tremor and an M1.6 earthquake at 22:23 lasat night local time were reported as well.

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

Monday, Sep 17, 2012

A further increase of Popocatépetl's activity can be observed. CENAPRED in its latest report yesterday evening reported 79 weak to moderate explosions during 24 hours, i.e. 3 time more than the day before. Some of them produced ash plumes rising a few 100 m such as the explosions at 12:14 h and 14:02 h local time on 15 Sep. No ash fall was reported from nearby villages. ... [more]

Popocatépetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update: slight increase of activity

Sunday, Sep 16, 2012

A slight increase of activity can be noted at Popocatépetl volcano. In the latest report from 15 Sep, CENPRED reported 28 explosions during the past 24 hours, i.e. the frequency has more than doubled when compared to last week. ... [more]

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

Friday, Sep 14, 2012

Weak steam and sometimes ash explosions continue about every 2-3 hours. Otherwise, a strong steam plume is being emitted and satellite imagery show that there is still a lot of SO2 production from the volcano. At night, glow from the crater is visible, suggesting that the lava dome continues to grow slowly. [more]

Popocatépetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update: strong steaming, weak explosions (about 10 per day)

Wednesday, Sep 12, 2012

A strong SO2 plume could be seen on NOAA's satellite image yesterday. The activity remains stable and at low levels. CENAPRED reports steaming and about 10 small explosions per day. [more]

Popocatépetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update: weak explosions (1 every 2 hours), tremor pulses

Tuesday, Sep 11, 2012

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. [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