(LaPresse) The Popocatépetl volcano, one of the most active in Mexico, began an eruption on Tuesday 26 February which is causing concern in the country. The column of ash and water vapor that rose from “Don Goyo” – as the volcano is called by the inhabitants of the state of Puebla – risks threatening Mexico City.
Local authorities have issued a yellow alert status in the capital, although for now the danger remains in an intermediate phase. The Mexican disaster prevention agency (Cenapred) reported that more than 77 fumes containing water vapor, gas and ash were recorded through its monitoring system. It said it had identified 952 minutes of tremor (19.9 hours) of high frequency and low amplitude in the past 24 hours, as well as a volcanic tectonic earthquake recorded at 2:42 am local time with a calculated magnitude of 1.2.
For two days, a continuous emission of volcanic gases and ash has been observed dispersing towards the north-west which could affect the south-eastern part of Mexico City. In the native Aztec language Nahuatl, Popocatépetl means “smoking mountain”, precisely because its activity is almost continuous.
February 28, 2024
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED