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 Satellite images of Popocatepetl volcano (c)Google Earth View
Stratovolcano 5426 m / 17,802 ft
Central Mexico, 19.02°N / -98.62°W
Current status: erupting (4 out of 5)
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 volcano tours: Popocatépetl Volcano Special (tour to see the ongoing eruption of Mexico's most active volcano)
Popocatepetl volcano news & eruption updatePopocatépetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity updateTue, 2 Apr 2013, 10:55 10:55 AM | BY: T  SO2 plume from Popocatépetl (NOAA)  Current seismic signal from Popocatépetl
Activity has again been a bit elevated during the past two days and corresponds to increased SO2 emissions and frequent small quakes and/or tremor signals on the seismogram. CENAPRED reports that during 31 Mar-1 April, Popocatépetl produced small explosions at a rate of about 2 per hour, which merged into a continuous gas and ash emission yesterday morning at 5:16 am (local time) that lasted an hour. Explosions at 8:22, 8:39 an 9:55 am produced ash plumes rising more than 2 km and drifted east, where probably light ash fall occurred. A volcanic-tectonic quake of magnitude 2.0 was recorded at 14:09 h on 31 March. Previous newsAfter the period of increased emissions (sometimes near continuous small to moderate explosions) and seismic activity during 28-29 March, the volcano has calmed down again to levels similar to before. ... read allAn increase in activity occurred last night from 20:05 h local time. Small to moderate explosions with ash emissions started to become more frequent. Incandescent tephra was thrown to up to 400-700 m distances onto the northern and northeastern slope of the volcano (see picture). ... read allthe current phase of elevated activity continues. Emissions of steam and gas and small to moderate explosions have risen to an average of 3 per hour and sometimes merged into continuous activity yesterday and today. Some of the stronger explosions ejected lava bombs to distances of 1 km from the crater and produced plumes of steam and ash rising up to 1.5 km. read allThe rate of steam and sometimes ash emissions climbed to over 3 per hour yesterday. The larger emissions produced plumes with some ash content up to 1 km above the crater. read allActivity has been showing a weakly increasing trend. Yesterday, the rate of explosions climbs to almost 2 per hour, with the largest ejecting glowing bombs to up to 500 m distance and producing plumes of steam and some ash rising 1.5 km above the crater. read allBackground: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
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