About the volcano
Popocatépetl, “smoking mountain” in Nahuatl, is Mexico's second-highest peak. It stands between the capital and Puebla, so millions of people live within reach of its ash. The volcano woke in December 1994 after decades of quiet and has been active almost continuously since 2005: lava domes grow and break apart in its crater, and explosions send up ash clouds that periodically close airports. Mexican agencies watch it around the clock and announce the hazard level on a traffic-light scale.
Eruption history
VEI – Volcanic Explosivity Index: 0 = lava outpouring, 4 = like Eyjafjallajökull 2010, 6 = like Pinatubo 1991, 7 = like Tambora 1815. The scale is logarithmic – each step is about 10 times more material.
| Start | End | VEI | Vent and dating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 January 2005 | continuing | 2 | Observations: Reported |
| 26 May 2004 | 26 May 2004 | 2 | Observations: Reported |
| 5 March 1996 | 22 November 2003 | 3 | Observations: Reported |
| 21 December 1994 | 5 October 1995 | 2 | Observations: Reported |
| 16 January 1947 | 16 February 1947 | 1 | Observations: Reported |
| 2 July 1942 | 2 July 1943 | 1 | Observations: Reported |
| 23 January 1933 | — | 1 | Observations: Reported |
| 2 July 1925 | 2 July 1927 | 2 | Observations: Reported |
| 27 November 1923 | 7 March 1924 | 1 | Observations: Reported |
| 19 February 1919 | 2 July 1922 | 1 | Observations: Reported |
| 2 July 1802 | 2 July 1804 | 1 | Observations: Reported |
| 1720 | — | 1 | Observations: Reported |
| 20 October 1697 | — | 1 | Observations: Reported |
| 1666 | 1667 | 2 | Observations: Reported |
| 13 October 1663 | 19 October 1665 | 3 | Observations: Reported |
| 1642 | — | 2 | Observations: Reported |
| 1592 | October 1594 | 2 | Observations: Reported |
| 1590 | — | 2 | Observations: Reported |
| 1580 | — | 2 | Observations: Reported |
| 1571 | — | 2 | Observations: Reported |
| 1548 | — | 2 | Observations: Reported |
| 1542 | — | 2 | Observations: Reported |
| 1539 | 1540 | 2 | Observations: Reported |
| 1530 | — | 2 | Observations: Reported |
| 1528 | — | 2 | Observations: Reported |
| September 1519 | 1523 | 3 | Observations: Reported |
| 1518 | — | 2 | Observations: Reported |
| 1512 | — | 2 | Observations: Reported |
| 1504 | — | 2 | Observations: Reported |
| 1488 | — | 2 | Observations: Reported |
| 1354 | — | 2 | Observations: Reported |
| 1345 | 1347 | 2 | Observations: Reported |
| 1 March 823 | — | 4 | Sidereal: Ice Core |
| c. 250 | — | ? | Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| 200 BCE ± 300 years | — | 5 | Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| 1,890 BCE ± 75 years | — | ? | Volcán El Fraile · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| 2,370 BCE ± 75 years | — | ? | Volcán El Fraile · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| 3,700 BCE ± 300 years | — | 5 | Volcán El Fraile · Isotopic: 14C (calibrated) |
| c. 5,150 BCE | — | 4 | Volcán El Fraile · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
| 6,250 BCE ± 500 years | — | ? | Volcán El Fraile · Correlation: Tephrochronology |
| c. 7,150 BCE | — | 4 | Volcán El Fraile · Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated) |
Data: Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution (#341090) · Wikipedia (pl) · Wikipedia (en)