Popocatépetl, Active stratovolcano in State of Mexico, Mexico.
Popocatépetl rises 5,452 meters above sea level, featuring a symmetrical cone shape with steep slopes and a snow-covered summit during winter months.
Spanish explorers under Hernán Cortés first climbed the volcano in 1522 to gather sulfur for manufacturing gunpowder for their conquest campaigns.
The name originates from Nahuatl language words 'popōca' and 'tepētl', creating the meaning 'Smoking Mountain' which reflects its continuous volcanic nature.
The National Center for Disaster Prevention monitors the volcano through specialized equipment, providing daily updates about its activity levels to surrounding communities.
After remaining dormant for 70 years, the volcano reawakened in 1994 and has since produced regular ash emissions affecting Mexico City and Puebla.
Location: State of Mexico
Location: Puebla
Location: Morelos
Elevation above the sea: 5,452 m
Made from material: andesite
GPS coordinates: 19.02268,-98.62773
Latest update: May 27, 2025 20:04
This collection brings together active volcanoes located on multiple continents, from Cotopaxi in the Ecuadorian Andes to Mount Fuji in Japan, including Vesuvius in Italy and Mauna Loa in Hawaii. Each site demonstrates different geological processes: stratovolcanoes like Mount Saint Helens and Etna produce explosive eruptions, while Hawaiian shield volcanoes generate flowing lava that can travel long distances. The selection also includes sites that have marked history through their destructive power, such as Krakatoa, whose 1883 eruption caused tens of thousands of casualties, or Vesuvius, which buried Pompeii and Herculaneum in AD 79. Other volcanoes like Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull have recently shown their ability to disrupt human activities globally. These locations offer insight into how volcanic activity shapes landscapes and influences nearby populations.
Iztaccihuatl
17.5 km
Puebla sinkhole
29.1 km
Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park
24.1 km
Tonantzintla Observatory
32.9 km
Former convent of Saint Michael the Archangel
27.9 km
Monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl
30.1 km
Cerro Zapotecas
30.2 km
Santa María Tonantzintla
32.4 km
Former convent of Saint Andrew
19.2 km
Former convent of Saint John the Baptist
29.2 km
Glaciar Norte
873 m
Teotón
18.6 km
Convent of Saint Mathew the Apostle, Atlatlahucan
30.1 km
Former convent of Saint John the Baptist
18.1 km
Former convent of Saint William
30.8 km
Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán
16.6 km
Convento de Santiago Apóstol
22.5 km
Malpaís de Nealtican
17.4 km
Papayo
32.7 km
Museo de Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
20.2 km
Museo Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
23 km
Cuerpo De Fuerzas Especiales
31.3 km
Aleman Munich
17.2 km
Letras Monumentales de Yecapixtla
29.4 km
Dif Municipal Juchitepef
28.7 km
La Castañeda
16.6 km
El Altillo
29.6 km
Arco Ozumba
18.3 kmReviews
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