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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

Friday Oct 26, 2012 12:05 PM | BY: T

Explosion During the early hours of October 26, 2012

During 25-26 Oct, 70 explosions of low to moderate intensity occurred, several of which produced ash clouds reaching a height between 1.5 and 2 km above the crater. During the night glow was observed and some explosions ejected incandescent bombs to the outer flanks of the crater (see image).

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Previous news

Popocatépetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update

Thursday, Oct 25, 2012

During 23-24 Oct, 36 weak explosions of mainly steam were registered, only few of which also produced some small ash plumes. ... [more]

Popocatépetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update

Wednesday, Oct 24, 2012

The activity has decreased again. During 22-23 Oct, 39 small explosions, some with weak ash plumes, were recorded. Crater glow is still visible at night, and some small earthquakes continue under the volcano. [more]

Popocatepetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update

Monday, Oct 22, 2012

85 weak to moderate explosions were recorded in the past 24 hours. Only some of them were accompanied by fine ash emissions. ... [more]

Popocatepetl volcano (Central Mexico): increasing number and strength of explosions

Sunday, Oct 21, 2012

In the last 24 hours (19-20 October), 129 explosions and 200 minutes of harmonic tremor in several segments were recorded. When the volcano was clear, most exhalations were accompanied by ash plumes that mostly spread westwards. Incandescence is seen at night in the crater of the volcano. ... [more]

Popocatépetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update

Thursday, Oct 18, 2012

During 17-18 Oct, there were 36 exhalations of low to medium strength with sometimes weak ash plumes rising up to 1 km. The larger events were at 12:46 h and 20:40 h on 17 Oct and at 10:31 h local time today. [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