The stratovolcano Popocatépetl, located only 70km (43 miles) from Mexico City, erupted yesterday evening with a plume of ash and gas some 3km (1.8 miles) high. Here is what it looked like from GOES this morning just after sunrise …
Here is an animation of the plume as the sun rose this morning …
By afternoon the eruption seems to have died down some, but I could still see an ash plume on the recent imagery. The Mexican Government has declared a yellow alert (in Spanish), and warns there could be more activity. If the winds change and the eruption continues it could impact Mexico City. The volcano has been active in recent years, with small eruption every few days. This one is the biggest in a while. Popocatépetl is considered the most dangerous volcano in Mexico due to its ongoing activity and proximity to the capital.
In other geophysics news, magma continues to flow near Grindavik and the Blue Lagoon area in Iceland, and another eruption is anticipated in late February or early March.
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