Popocatépetl

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Popocatépetl
The Popocatépetl with the Church of Cholula in the foreground

The Popocatépetl with the Church of Cholula in the foreground

height 5452  m
location Border of the states of Mexico , Puebla and Morelos
Mountains Sierra Volcánica
Dominance 142 km →  Citlaltépetl
Notch height 3020 m
Coordinates 19 ° 1 '40 "  N , 98 ° 37' 23"  W Coordinates: 19 ° 1 '40 "  N , 98 ° 37' 23"  W
Popocatépetl (Mexico)
Popocatépetl
Type Stratovolcano
Last eruption ongoing
First ascent 1519 by Diego de Ordás
Normal way Alpine tour (partly icy)
pd3
pd5
fd2

The Popocatépetl [ popokaˈtepetl ] ( Nahuatl : Popōcatepētl [ popoːkaˈtepeːtɬ ] (= smoking mountain )), sometimes also called El Popo or Don Goyo , is a volcano on the edge of the highlands of Mexico . It is considered to be one of the most active volcanoes in Mexico. Its current height is up to 5452  m , depending on the source . This makes it the second highest volcano in North America and the second highest mountain in Mexico after the Citlaltépetl ( 5636  m , also Pico de Orizaba ) .

geography

Popocatépetl volcano, seen from the ascent to the neighboring volcano Iztaccíhuatl

The Popocatépetl is located between Mexico City and Puebla and is connected via the Paso de Cortés to the sister volcano Iztaccíhuatl ( 5286  m ), which is north of the Popocatépetl. Geographically, the mountain peak is on the border of the Mexican states of Morelos , Estado de México and Puebla .

The volcano is part of the Sierra Volcánica Transversal , which runs through the country from west to east. At 5452 meters, it is also one of the highest exponents of this mountain range.

Due to the close proximity to large Mexican centers, it is only around 70 km to Mexico City and around 40 km to Puebla . Tlaxcala is around 50 kilometers northeast and Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl is around 60 kilometers northwest of the volcano. The volcano is prominently visible from all locations when the weather conditions allow.

It is estimated that around 25 million people live in its catchment area. H. within a radius of 100 kilometers from the volcano. The closest town to the volcano is San Pedro Nexapa (around 4,600 inhabitants), which is 13 kilometers to the northwest and is thus just outside the exclusion zone.

Location of the Popocatépetl with details of the distance to the surrounding places

history

Say about the origin of the name

According to an Aztec legend, a chief and his wife used to live in Tenochtitlan . The chief was a famous conqueror who was loved by all Aztecs. He and his wife were concerned that they would not have another child. But one day the wife gave birth to a girl who was as beautiful as her mother. The girl was called "Iztaccíhuatl", which means "White Lady" in Náhuatl .

All the indigenous people loved Iztaccíhuatl and their parents. The girl was being prepared to one day take over the role of her father as a leader. As Iztaccíhuatl got older, she fell in love with the leader of another tribe, Popocatépetl.

One day war broke out and the fighters had to move south with their troops to defeat the enemy. The chief told Popocatépetl that he could marry his daughter if he brought him the head of the enemy. Popocatépetl went to war, Iztaccíhuatl stayed behind.

After several months, a warrior returned who hated Popocatépetl. He delivered the false news that his army had won but Popocatépetl had fallen. The chief was sad when he heard this, but Iztaccíhuatl couldn't stop crying. She never left the house, did not eat or drink anything, so that after a few days she died of her grief.

When the chief was preparing his daughter's funeral, Popocatépetl and his troops successfully returned from the war. Popocatépetl saw his dead lover and fell into mourning. He carried Iztaccíhuatl in his arms a long way out of town to a mountain. There he ordered his warriors to erect a tomb and carefully placed his mistress on top. Then he knelt beside her and stayed with her until he too died of his grief.

The gods were touched by Popocatépetl's sacrifice. They turned the tomb and the two deceased into a mountain and a volcano. The mountain, named after Iztaccíhuatl, looks like a sleeping woman.

The name "Popocatépetl" means "smoking mountain" in Náhuatl, as smoke occasionally rises from the volcano. With this Popocatépetl shows that he is always watching over Iztaccíhuatl who sleeps by his side.

First ascent

The Spanish conquistador Diego de Ordás was the first European to climb the Popocatépetl in November 1519, accompanied by two brothers in arms in search of sulfur, which was essential for the production of gunpowder . Emperor Charles V then allowed him to have the volcano in his coat of arms.

In pre-Hispanic times, the volcanic chain of Popocatépetl, Iztaccíhuatl and Tláloc separated the Aztec-ruled areas in western Mexico from the independent political units Tlaxcallan (today: Tlaxcala ) and Huexotzinco (today: Puebla ) in the east. Just a few years after the Spanish conquest, the region was owned by Spanish encomenderos (including the aforementioned Diego de Ordás) and the Marquéz del Valle Hernán Cortés and the scene of intensive proselytizing . For this purpose, numerous monasteries were built in the 16th century, first by Franciscans , later also by the Dominicans and Augustinians . Fourteen of these well-preserved monasteries within a radius of more than 60 kilometers around the volcano were declared World Heritage Sites in 1994 .

geology

When Popocatépetl is a part of glaciers covered stratovolcano . The volcanic cone rests on the remains of at least three predecessors, by gravitational destroyed collapse. Significant deposits of debris avalanches testify to these events.

The current central crater has a diameter of 400 to 600 m and is partially filled by lava domes . The conical shape of the mountain is broken through by the so-called "Ventorillo", the remainder of an earlier volcano.

Pópocatépetl itself has produced at least three Plinian eruptions since the middle Holocene , followed by pyroclastic currents and lahars . Its rocks are influenced by the subduction zone in the south and range from basalt to dacite , but with a tendency towards the more evolved, i.e. H. Silica- containing rocks and magma mixing. The materials originating from a magma chamber close to the surface are relatively homogeneous and contain both felsic and mafic components.

The volcanic system also includes the currently inactive neighboring volcano Iztaccíhuatl , with activity shifting from the latter south to the former over hundreds of thousands of years.

Until 2001, the Popocatépetl was covered with visible glaciers, especially on the northern flank. However, these declined significantly as early as the 1990s due to warmer temperatures and increased volcanic activity. Since then, ice has only partially been found on the mountain, but it no longer has the characteristic properties of glaciation ( crevasses, etc.).

monitoring

Due to its proximity to major cities as well as the relative frequency of the outbreaks, the Popocatépetl is actively monitored by the Mexican state. The CENAPRED ( Centro Nacional de Prevención de Desastres , National Center for Disaster Prevention) controls volcanic activity by means of numerous measuring stations and overflights and continuously posts data on the Internet. Among other things, ash emissions, seismological movements and numerous weather data (wind direction, etc.) are recorded and published in a daily blog on the CENAPRED website. There are clearly defined evacuation plans and routes to protect the population of the surrounding villages.

To make the information easier to understand, the CENAPRED is based on a multi-phase traffic light scale . This has three colors (green, yellow and red) as well as a subscale with up to three levels, increasing in importance (phase 1, phase 2 and phase 3). The exact meaning is as follows:

Mexican Disaster Prevention Service (CENAPRED) volcano warning levels
GREEN

normality

YELLOW

Caution (evacuation prevention)

RED

Alarm (evacuation)

PHASE 1 Dormant volcano Volcano active: seimic movements regularly measurable locally, smaller eruptions with slight ash emissions Volcano dangerous: ash cloud rises several kilometers in the air, discharge of hot, solid material over the volcanic flanks, ash rain also over distant places, pyroclastic flows to nearby, inhabited areas
PHASE 2 Volcano slightly active: scattered plumes of smoke Volcano increasingly active: emissions of steam and gases (fumaroles), light ash rain in the immediate vicinity, various emissions of solid material, possibility of pyroclastic flows due to explosions, smaller lava flows Highly dangerous volcano : extensive eruptions, intense ash rain over great distances, geological changes in the volcanic flank (landslides etc.), pyroclastic flows over long distances, lahars of destructive proportions, severe destruction of endangered areas
PHASE 3 not used when the traffic light is green Highly active volcano: formation of lava domes, constant presence of fumaroles, ash rain, intensified explosions with the discharge of solid material, pyroclastic flows of medium size not used when the traffic light is red

The current warning level is continuously updated on the CENAPRED website.

Eruption story

Geologists on the way to the crater rim (around 1868)

To 1900

North flank of Popocatepetl with glacier (March 1981)

The previously explored history of the volcano begins 430,000 years ago when a large Bezymianny- style eruption caused the volcanic structure of that time to collapse. About 25,000 years ago, the next volcanic building was destroyed by an eruption similar to that of Mount St. Helens in 1980; H. by a so-called lateral blast , which was caused by the explosive collapse of a lava dome on the side.

December 19, 2000 eruption

A Plinian eruption destroyed the immediate predecessor of Popocatepétl, which today's volcanologists called "El Fraile" (= the monk) about 15,000 years ago. Other major eruptions occurred around 11,000 years ago, 7,000, 4,000, and 3,000 years ago. Significantly, due to the distance in time, only the really large outbreaks could be detected until then.

From the 14th century, the eruptions are better documented. Apart from a larger one around 1509, the detected eruptions are minor up to the beginning of the 20th century.

20th century

A renewed activity started in 1919 and lasted until 1927. Small and medium-sized eruptions resulted with the ejection of ash and pumice stone and the formation of a lava dome in 1924. Other smaller eruptions then took place until 1947.

An eruption on December 21, 1994 ended the 47-year dormant period. Ash was carried away from the volcano over 25 kilometers by the wind. As a result, the eruptions were rather moderate, but with regular fumaroles, gas leaks and smaller ash discharges. In April 1996, five climbers were killed by an explosion on the blocked mountain. At the end of June 1997, Mexico City Airport had to be temporarily closed due to ash.

Another active phase took place in December 2000. Ash clouds rose up to 8 kilometers into the sky and volcanic tremors could still be measured at a distance of 150 kilometers and felt by people around 14 kilometers away. Between 25,000 and 41,000 people on Popocatépetl (depending on the source) were evacuated on December 15 and 16, including the two nearby villages of Santiago Xalitzintla and San Pedro Benito Juárez . It is estimated that 15 to 19 million cubic meters of lava has accumulated in the volcanic crater, which is more than ever measured.

With another large eruption on December 18 and 19, 2000, eruptive material spread up to 6 kilometers around the crater. This outbreak gained worldwide media interest, especially since numerous observers were already in the region due to the previous activity. During the outbreaks, record levels of nitrogen dioxide were emitted at 70,200 tons per day .

21st century

Image of the International Space Station during the January 23, 2001 eruption

2001 to 2010

In the following years there were repeated eruptions with ash clouds rising up to several kilometers. The eruptions on July 19, 2003, during December 2005, in the first half of 2006 and in April 2007 attracted particular attention. An eruption at the end of July 2006 caused an ash cloud to rise around 9.8 kilometers into the sky.

This was followed by a relatively quiet phase until August 20, 2009, when the volcano again emitted high clouds of ash. On November 21, 2009, after a minor explosion, ash was reported in Atlixco , 23 kilometers away .

2011 to 2015

The Popocatépetl in October 2012

On November 20, 2011 at around 12 noon, a group of Mexican hikers near the crater was caught by a minor eruption. The ash cloud and some falling stones could be recorded on video and reached an international audience via YouTube .

Another more active phase followed in April 2012. On April 13, 2012, seismic activity increased rapidly. Eruptions hurled stones up to 800 meters from the crater. On April 14, ashes also fell in Atlixco and Puebla (50 kilometers away). After another heavy ash discharge on April 16, the Centro Nacional de Prevención de Desastres (CENAPRED) increased the danger level to phase 3 of the second yellow level ("yellow phase 3"). Ash also fell over parts of Mexico City on May 2nd and 3rd . On September 1st, the warning level was reset to "Yellow Phase 2".

Another active phase started in May 2013. An eruption on May 8, 2013 led to ash falls as far as Puebla. On May 13, 2013, in view of a possible major outbreak, members of the Mexican Armed Forces and the Federal Police were sent to the region, an 18-square-kilometer zone was cordoned off and the establishment of emergency shelters was prepared. Phase 3 of the yellow alert was declared and a 12-kilometer exclusion zone was established around the volcano, which was maintained until June 7th.

On June 18, 2013, the volcano again emitted a more than four kilometers high ash cloud and glowing rock.

Quiet phase of Popocatépetl in January 2016 with the high-rise buildings of Mexico City in the foreground

On July 3, 2013, another stronger activity began. 47 flights had to be canceled. Delta Air Lines , United Airlines , Alaska Airlines and AirTran Airways subsequently canceled all connections to Mexico City . Ash fell on numerous places in the area, including Mexico City and Puebla . The village of San Pedro Nexapa was covered with 5 centimeters of ash - there had never been so much in the 15 years before. On July 6, 2013, the alert level was raised again to "Phase 3 Yellow" and maintained until July 23. Ash emissions caused a complete closure of the Puebla airport on July 12, 2013. After that, the situation at the volcano calmed down again, the alert level remained on "Phase 2 yellow".

The year 2015 was marked by regular smaller outbreaks. In February 2015 in particular, the volcano was more active again, which led to various ash precipitation events. During an observation flight by scientists on February 27, a small ash discharge was observed at close range.

In October 2015 the volcano became more active again. An ash discharge on October 2nd reached a height of 7.6 kilometers and only dissolved after 185 kilometers in a south-easterly direction. Another outbreak on October 7 was captured by cameras and broadcast internationally via Reuters .

On October 30, 2015 at 8:57 a.m., the volcano again spat fire and ashes. The cloud of smoke rose about 3000 meters above the crater and moved northeast. On 17./18. In April 2016, the volcano emitted lava again, a 3000 meter high ash column formed, which among other things caused ash rain in Puebla .

2016 until now

Ash plume of Popocatépetl visible from space in the early afternoon of January 25, 2016

On January 23, 2016, another activity caused an approximately 900 kilometer long ash cloud, which stretched from 6.1 to 8.2 kilometers to the east for two days. It was captured on pictures by NASA from space. Landslides on the volcano occurred in August 2016. As a result, every one to two months there were more explosive processes in which ash was also expelled, the largest of which on November 25 and 26, 2016, in which the ashes reached heights of 11.5 and 10.9 kilometers respectively was thrown.

On September 19, 2017, an ash cloud rose one kilometer, but according to the Mexican authority Centro Nacional de Prevención de Desastres , the earthquake on September 19 had no significant impact on the activity of the volcano.

Ashes were reported again on May 28, 2018. At the end of May 2018, volcanologists assessed the risk of an eruption as high based on measured signs. On September 25, 2018, a 1.2 km high column of smoke and a large cloud of ash were reported; the population should prepare for a possible evacuation. On the Semáforo de Alerta Volcánica warning scale for the bottom , “yellow phase 2” (Amarillo phase 2) remained unchanged; it was recommended not to climb the mountain because of the risk of falling rocks.

On March 26, 2019 at 7.23 p.m. local time, another explosive eruption occurred, which distributed glowing material within a radius of around 2 kilometers around the crater. A 3 kilometer high ash cloud rose into the twilight sky. The Centro Nacional de Prevención de Desastres (CENAPRED) again emphasized the safety zone of 12 kilometers around the volcano, but left the warning level at phase 2 (yellow) on the three-stage scale. The outbreak caused various bush fires , which raged north and east of the crater in the following days. Ashes fell in various surrounding communities. With a renewed eruption on March 28th at 6:50 am local time, the alert level was raised to "Yellow Phase 3" by May 6th. Nevertheless, the volcano repeatedly emitted smaller ash clouds throughout the summer, which also led to ash rain in nearby areas. However, this is part of the normal activity of the volcano, so that the warning level remained on "Phase 2 yellow".

The first major eruption of 2020 occurred on January 9 at 6:33 a.m. local time. The ash cloud reached a height of around three kilometers. Due to the clear weather and the time of day, the eruption was recorded in numerous photos and videos. The eruption and the fumarole that followed was clearly visible even from Mexico City. The warning level remained on "Phase 2 yellow"

literature

  • H. Delgado Granados, S. De la Cruz Reyna, RI Tilling (Eds.): The 1994 - present eruption of Popocatépetl. Background, current activity, and impacts. In: Journal of volcanology and geothermal research. Volume 170, No. 1-2, Feb 2008, pp. 1-134.
  • Wilhelm Reinhart: An ascent of the Popocatepetl. With ten illustrations based on photographs taken by the author. In: Reclam's Universe: Modern Illustrated Weekly. Volume 27, No. 1, 1911, pp. 559-565.

Web links

Commons : Popocatépetl  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ CENAPRED: Popocatépetl: Información Lavas. (PDF) 2018, accessed on March 28, 2019 .
  2. ↑ a b CENAPRED: Semáforo Alerta Volcánica. (PDF) Retrieved March 27, 2019 .
  3. ↑ SAN PEDRO Nexapa (Amecameca, México). Retrieved March 28, 2019 (European Spanish).
  4. ↑ Bernal Díaz del Castillo: The True Story of the Conquest of Mexico. Steingrüben Verlag, Stuttgart 1965, p. 202.
  5. ↑ a b Report on Popocatepetl (Mexico) . In: Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network . tape 35 , no. 8 , 2010, ISSN  1050-4818 , doi : 10.5479 / si.gvp.bgvn201008-341090 ( si.edu [accessed March 27, 2019]).
  6. ↑ http://www.volcano.si.edu/volcano.cfm?vn=341090
  7. ↑ P. Schaaf et al .: Geochemical Evidence for Mantle Origin and Crustal Processes in Volcanic Rocks from Popocatépetl and Surrounding Monogenetic Volcanoes, Central Mexico. In: Journal of Petrology. Volume 46, No. 6, June 2005, pp. 1243-1282. doi: 10.1093 / petrology / egi015
  8. ^ ScienceDirect. Retrieved March 28, 2019 .
  9. ^ ScienceDirect. Retrieved March 28, 2019 .
  10. ↑ Wayback Machine. (PDF) October 29, 2012, accessed on March 28, 2019 .
  11. ↑ P. Julio-Miranda, H. Delgado-Granados, C. Huggel, A. Kääb: Impact of the eruptive activity on glacier evolution at Popocatépetl Volcano (México) during 1994-2004. (PDF) 2008, accessed March 28, 2019 .
  12. ^ Reports Volcán. Retrieved January 10, 2020 .
  13. ↑ Centro National de Prevención de Desastres: Historia de la Activitad del volcán Popocatépetl. 17 años de erupciones. México 2012.
  14. ↑ Popocatépetl Vulkan (Central Mexico): News and updates on current activity / 1-27 Mar, 2019. Retrieved on March 27, 2019 (German).
  15. ↑ a b c Fear of the disaster: Second volcanic eruption on Popocatépetl . In: Spiegel Online . December 19, 2000 ( spiegel.de [accessed March 27, 2019]).
  16. ↑ a b c Report on Popocatepetl (Mexico) . In: Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network . tape 25 , no. 12 , 2000, ISSN  1050-4818 , doi : 10.5479 / si.gvp.bgvn200012-341090 ( si.edu [accessed March 27, 2019]).
  17. ↑ Tuesday, December 19, 2000, 7.45 am: Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano erupted. December 19, 2000, accessed on March 27, 2019 (German).
  18. ↑ a b Reports Volcán. Retrieved March 27, 2019 .
  19. ↑ Global Volcanism Program | Popocatépetl. Retrieved March 27, 2019 .
  20. ↑ Volcano eruption: "El Popo" scares Mexico. In: Spiegel Online. SPIEGEL ONLINE GmbH, April 21, 2012, accessed on June 18, 2013 .
  21. ↑ Ivanovich: EXPLOSIÓN POPOCATÉPETL A METROS DEL CRÁTER. January 21, 2012, accessed March 27, 2019 .
  22. ^ Report on Popocatepetl (Mexico) . In: Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network . tape 37 , no. 5 , 2012, ISSN  1050-4818 , doi : 10.5479 / si.gvp.bgvn201205-341090 ( si.edu [accessed March 27, 2019]).
  23. ↑ a b c d Report on Popocatepetl (Mexico) . In: Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network . tape 37 , no. 9 , 2012, ISSN  1050-4818 , doi : 10.5479 / si.gvp.bgvn201209-341090 ( si.edu [accessed March 27, 2019]).
  24. ↑ Increased alert level on Popocatepetl. NZZ , May 13, 2013, accessed on September 25, 2017 .
  25. ↑ Mexico: Alert level on Popocatepetl increased. In: latina-press.com. May 12, 2013. Retrieved September 25, 2017 .
  26. ↑ a b Global Volcanism Program | Report on Popocatepetl (Mexico) - February 2015 . doi : 10.5479 / si.gvp.bgvn201502-341090 ( si.edu [accessed on 27 March 2019]).
  27. ↑ Popocatépetl emits a cloud of ash that is kilometers high. In: FOCUS Online. FOCUS Magazin Verlag GmbH, June 18, 2013, accessed on June 18, 2013 . ; Video of the volcanic eruption on liveleak.com
  28. ↑ n-tv NEWS: Popocatépetl messes up flight plan. Retrieved March 27, 2019 .
  29. ↑ sorprende 'lluvia' de ceniza. Retrieved March 27, 2019 (Spanish).
  30. ↑ Popocatepetl volcano active again - airport closed . In: orf.at, July 13, 2013.
  31. ↑ a b c d Global Volcanism Program | Report on Popocatepetl (Mexico) - July 2017. Retrieved March 27, 2019 .
  32. ↑ www.20min.ch: The moment when the Popocatepetl broke out. Retrieved March 27, 2019 .
  33. ↑ Mexico: Popocatepetl volcano caused ash to rain. In: orf.at, April 19, 2016, accessed April 19, 2016.
  34. ↑ Global Volcanism Program | Report on Popocatepetl (Mexico) - September 2017. Retrieved March 27, 2019 .
  35. ↑ Global Volcanism Program, 2017. Report on Popocatepetl (Mexico). In: Edward Venzke (Ed.): Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network . tape 42 , no. 9 . Smithsonian Institution, September 2017 ( report online ).
  36. ^ Sally Kuhn Sennert: Global Volcanism Program, 2017. Report on Popocatepetl (Mexico). In: Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, September 13-19, 2017. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey, September 2017, accessed September 25, 2017 .
  37. ↑ Popocatépetl volcano Volcanic Ash Advisory: NEW VA EMS volcanodiscovery.com, May 28, 2018, accessed May 29, 2018. - New emission of volcanic ash.
  38. ^ Ö1 Nachrichten, ORF-Radio, May 29, 2018, 10 a.m.
  39. ↑ Popocatepetl volcano in Mexico shows activity orf.at, September 25, 2018, accessed September 26.
  40. ↑ Reporte del monitoreo de CENAPRED al volcán Popocatépetl hoy 25 de septiembre September 25, 2018, accessed September 26, 2018. - Spanish, with video (0:08) from the outbreak of a column of smoke on September 24, 2018.
  41. ↑ Joe Duggan: Popocatepetl volcano eruption: Mexico rocked as fiery lava explodes sparking urgent alert. March 27, 2019, accessed on March 27, 2019 .
  42. ^ Reports Volcán. Retrieved March 28, 2019 .
  43. ↑ Popocatépetl: semáforo de alerta sube a Amarillo Fase 3. March 28, 2019, accessed on March 28, 2019 (Spanish).
  44. ↑ Global Volcanism Program | Popocatépetl. Retrieved January 10, 2020 .
  45. ↑ New eruptions on Popocatepetl. January 10, 2020, accessed January 10, 2020 .
  46. ↑ 9 De Enero De 2020: Volcán Popocatépetl: las impactantes imágenes que dejó su más reciente explosión. Retrieved January 10, 2020 (European Spanish).