Due to its Nahuatl origin, its name means "smoking mountain." Its height makes it the second highest peak in Mexico after Pico de Orizaba, and its proximity to several towns makes it one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. It is also known as "Don Goyo" or simply "Popo." Popocatépetl is a stratovolcano, or composite volcano. Described as an active volcano, it is actually the most active volcano in Mexico. It is located in the states of Puebla, Morelos, and Mexico, south of Mexico City, in a geographical province called the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, a chain of volcanoes that includes Iztaccíhuatl, Paricutín, and Nevada de Toluca, among others.
In this article, we'll tell you everything you need to know about the Popocatépetl volcano, its origin, eruptions, and its dangers.
Key features
The volcano's appearance is almost symmetrical, covering an area of 283192.53 hectares and reaching an altitude of 5426 meters. It has an oval-shaped crater with steep walls, 150 meters deep from the lower lip, a diameter greater than 900 meters, and a total width of 400 x 600 meters.
The landscape surrounding Popocatepetl encompasses several ecosystems with a rich diversity of flora and fauna. There are mixed forests of pine, oak, and holm oak, home to up to 1.000 plant species. On the cone, primarily near the crater, glaciers remain, though they have been receding in recent years. If you'd like to learn more about the world's most dangerous volcanoes , this article will be of interest and will allow you to delve deeper into the hazards posed by Popocatepetl. You can also read about the phenomenon of thunderstorms at Popocatepetl.
Formation of the Popocatepetl volcano
Popocatépetl is a geologically young volcano. It is believed to be around 730.000 years old and is the remnant of an ancient volcanic collapse. Its history begins with the formation of the Nexpayantla Volcano through the discharge of lava flows of andesite and dacite. Years later, the volcano collapsed, creating a caldera, a wide, deep depression with a magma chamber below.
Then came the cone of a new volcano, Ventorillo, but it collapsed about 23.000 years ago. Later, the El Fraile volcano began to appear, but after a while it also collapsed due to a strong eruption, after which the southern side of the cone was destroyed.
Modern Popocatépetl originated in the Late Pleistocene-Holocene , following the collapse of El Fraile. The Don Goyo cone gradually grew to a considerable size, but then produced a powerful eruption that collapsed one side of the cone and deposited a large amount of sediment, covering the surface. At least four subsequent avalanches contributed to the formation of the modern cone. For more information on the relationship between earthquakes and eruptions, see this article on the relationship between earthquakes and volcanic eruptions , as well as on the causes of volcanic eruptions.
Popocatepetl eruptions
It is an andesite-dacite stratovolcano. Since the mid-Holocene, there have been three major eruptions, according to Pliny the Elder; the last occurred in 800 AD. It is estimated to have been active for over half a million years, and its eruptive history is quite extensive.
The Aztecs recorded many events in their code, such as the one that occurred in 1509 AD, recorded in Telleriano-Remensis and the Vatican Codex. Volcanic activity began in 1519 and peaked in 1530, with another notable eruption in 1539. Between 1539 and 1549, moderate explosive eruptions occurred, releasing pumice from the Earth's interior.
During the 20th century, there have been several moderate to intense eruptions, the most memorable being the 1947 eruption. In 1994, the gas and ash exhaled from the volcano forced nearby residents to evacuate their homes for safety. This is a crucial point for the more than 25 million people living within a 100-kilometer radius of the crater, especially for the nearly 325 people residing within a 5-kilometer radius. Furthermore, understanding how volcanoes behave is important, so you can read more about the relationship between lightning and volcanic eruptions and learn more about the activity of Popocatépetl volcano.
In 2000, the volcano had its biggest eruption in 1200 years. On December 18 and 19 of that year, it spewed large amounts of incandescent material in three episodes, and on December 24, it spewed debris about 2,5 kilometers long and produced an ash plume about 5 kilometers high. Don Goyo is as active as ever, with occasional exhalations and moderate outbursts.
Views
One of the best places to view the volcano is Paso de Cortés, a pass at 3600 meters above sea level that stretches between the foothills of Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl in the municipality of Amecameca. The area was named after the conquistador Hernán Cortés , who, according to history, passed through there on his way to Tenochtitlán.
Tickets can be purchased for entry to Izta-Popo National Park, and on clear days, La Malinche and Pico de Orizaba can be seen in the distance. Paso de Cortés is also the starting point for reaching La Joya (3950 meters above sea level), from where climbers begin their ascent of the Iztaccíhuatl volcano. Entrance to Izta-Popo National Park costs 30.50 MXN. You can find more information about other active volcanoes internationally and their significance in world geography.
Legend of the Popocatépetl volcano
This is the landscape that beautifies one of the world's largest cities: Mexico City, home to two of the country's tallest volcanoes: Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl.
In his book Popocatépetl, Mexican writer and journalist Carlos Villa Roiz recounts that in his childhood, when the Aztecs arrived in the valleys of Mexico, the great city of Tenochtitlan was founded, and the beautiful princess Mixtli was the daughter of Tizoc (Mexico). Mixtli was a beautiful woman sought after by many men, including Axooxco, the ruthless and bloodthirsty ruler who claimed the Princess's Hand. But the girl's heart belonged to one of the most handsome warriors of the people, a warrior named Popoka. They both expressed a boundless love.
Making a pact with the princess's father, Popoca fought to win the title of Eagle Knight, thus giving Mistry's hand to Aksoko. He takes the promise of Mistry and others seriously. When Popoca got involved, Mistry watched his fighters lose and die in battle.
Frustrated by the grief of her beloved's death, Mixtli took her own life, unaware that Popoca would return triumphant, having been denied their love. Popoca fought against hundreds of soldiers for years. Years later, Popoca returned victorious to find his beloved dead. The victorious warrior now possesses victory, wealth, and power, but he has no love.
The samurai then took the corpse of the princess and ordered a large tomb to be built on the huge mound facing the sun, and ten hills were piled on which to place the corpse lying in the tomb.
