Popocateptl, the second-highest volcano in North America and one of Mexico’s most active, has erupted again, shooting out lava and billowing smoke on Jan. 9.
Thursday’s eruption at sunrise was a spectacular one, and was it well documented given the volcano’s location 43 miles southeast of Mexico City, where its 17,700-feet-high peak can be seen if weather conditions allow.
A bright explosion lit up the morning sky, followed by a shower of lava, then a huge cloud of smoke that reached nearly 20,000 feet high, raining down fire and ashes.
Although no casualties were reported, Mexico’s National Center for Disaster Prevention issued a yellow phase 2 alert, which means people are advised to stay clear of the volcano and its slopes.
Popocatepetl (or Smoky Mountain in the native Nahuatl language) has been monitored 24/7 by at least 20 observational posts. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration captured the eruption from space.
SATELLITE SPOTLIGHT: @NOAA‘s #GOES16 watched as #Mexico‘s #Popocatépetl #volcano erupted early this morning. The #satellite‘s #GeoColor band saw the #ash cloud (red circle) but its SO2 composite detected the #SulfurDioxide in the #AshPlume, which shot about 20,000 feet high. pic.twitter.com/9V2bueFOeY
— NOAA Satellites – Public Affairs (@NOAASatellitePA) January 9, 2020
Popocatepetl has had at least 36 major eruptions since the Spanish conquest of Mexico in 1519.
Volcano Erupts Near Manila; Airport Shut, Villagers Flee
A small volcano near the Philippine capital that draws tourists for its picturesque setting in a lake erupted with a massive plume of ash and steam Sunday, prompting the evacuation of tens of thousands of people and forcing Manila’s international airport to shut down.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said Taal Volcano in Batangas province south of Manila blasted steam, ash, and pebbles up 6 to 9 miles into the sky in a dramatic escalation of its growing restiveness, which began last year.
The volcanology institute raised the danger level around Taal three notches on Sunday to level 4, indicating “a hazardous eruption may happen within hours or days,” said Renato Solidum, who heads the volcanology institute. Level 5, the highest, means a hazardous eruption is underway and could affect a larger area.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, but authorities scrambled to evacuate more than 6,000 villagers from an island in the middle of a lake, where the volcano lies, and tens of thousands more from nearby coastal towns, officials said. About 300,000 people were targeted to be moved to safety in Batangas overnight and in the next few days.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
