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  Satellite images of Popocatepetl volcano (c)Google Earth View
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
Current status: erupting (4 out of 5)
Popocatépetl webcams / live data | ReportsVolcano videosBooks
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.
Last earthquakes nearby
Popocatépetl volcano tours Popocatépetl Volcano Special (tour to see the ongoing eruption of Mexico's most active volcano)
Latest satellite images  Sentinel hub | Landsat 8
Popocatepetl volcano news & eruption update
Popocatépetl volcano (Central Mexico) activity update
Thu, 29 May 2014, 10:00 10:00 AM | BY: T  Small ash emission at Popocatépetl yesterday
The number of steam-gas and sometimes ash emissions has increased a bit to approx 8 per hour. No other significant changes occurred at the volcano.
Previous news
No significant changes have occurred in the volcano's activity during the past weeks. Magma continues to rise, at fluctuating rates, slowly into the summit crater, producing weak intermittent explosions and glow at night. ... read all
No significant changes in activity have occurred. CENAPRED reported 73 low-intensity exhalations during 29-30 April, some of which produced small puffs of ash. Glow at the crater remains visible at night. read all
Activity at the volcano remains low and essentially unchanged. The frequency of small steam-gas emissions was less than one per hour yesterday. Weak incandescence continues to be visible at the summit at night. ... read all
No significant changes have occurred in the volcano's currently low activity. Small to moderate emissions of steam and minor amounts of ash were observed at rates of approx 1 per hour (CENAPRED counted 22 events during 16-17 April). ... read all
A slight increase of activity (but no significant change) was reported by CENAPRED. During 11-12 April, the volcano had 120 exhalations of small to medium intensity, some of which have been followed by emissions of steam, gas and sometimes small amounts of ash. ... read all
Background: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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