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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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Popocatepetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update

Thursday Oct 04, 2012 12:05 PM | BY: T

Small blast last night from Popo

Popo this morning

During the last 24 h, CENAPRED recorded 12 low-intensity explosions mainly of steam and gas.
Yesterday, at 17:31 h local time, an explosion produced an ash plume that reached a height of 1 km above the crater and drifted northwest (see picture), today at 04:08 h and 07:40 h local time there were 2 similar explosions with ash reaching heights of between 800 m and 1 km above the crater.

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Popocatépetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update

Thursday, Oct 04, 2012

Only 7 weak explosions were recorded between 2 Oct and yesterday. Glow is still visible at night. [more]

Popocatepetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update: increased number of explosions

Wednesday, Oct 03, 2012

During the last 24 h between 1-2 Oct, 26 low-intensity exhalations accompanied by emissions of steam and gas were detected, a number more than double compared to the previous day. The most important occurred at 04:05 and 4:28 h local times. On 1 Oct, a shallow volcanic earthquake of magnitude 1.5 occurred at 13:54 h. Additionally, there have been various pulses of low amplitude harmonic tremor that have added up to a total of 1 h 45 min. (CENAPRED) [more]

Popocatepetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update

Tuesday, Oct 02, 2012

During the last 24 h (before 11 am local time 1 Oct), CENAPRED recorded 9 low-intensity exhalations accompanied by emissions of steam and gas. The most important occurred at 15:49 h in the afternoon yesterday and this morning at 05:19 h (local times). ... [more]

Popocatépetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update: weak steam explosions (about 1 every 2 hours), crater glow, steaming

Monday, Oct 01, 2012

About 1 weak explosion every 2 hours were recorded during the past 24 hours and crater glow is visible at night. The steam plume was less pronounced and only about 700 m high yesterday morning. [more]

Popocatépetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update

Sunday, Sep 30, 2012

6 weak explosions occurred during the 24 hour interval 28-29 Sep, and a steam plume is rising about 1.5 km above the crater. [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