Mexico raises alert for Popocatepetl volcano

Apr 17, 2012 - 05:51

Mexico raises alert for Popocatepetl volcano

The Popocatepetl volcano spews a cloud of ash and steam high into the air as seen from Puebla (reuters_tickers)

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican authorities raised the alert level for the Popocatepetl volcano near to Mexico City on Monday after it started spewing red-hot fragments of rock.

The lava dome of Popocatepetl, some 50 miles (80 km) to the southeast of the capital, started to expand on Friday, Mexico's National Center for Disaster Prevention said.

This change in activity in the 5,450 meter (17,900 foot) volcano could provoke big explosions capable of sending incandescent fragments out over considerable distances, as well as ash showers, the centre said in a statement.

The centre raised the alert level to yellow phase three from yellow phase two, indicating possible magma expulsion and explosions of increasing intensity. It is the third-highest warning on the centre's seven-step scale.

Emergency services should ready evacuation teams and shelters, limit access to the area around the volcano and alert air-traffic control systems, the centre said in its statement.

Experts have noted increased activity in Popocateptl in 2012. It has spewed smoke and ash sporadically over the last few years and a major eruption in 2000 forced the evacuation of nearly 50,000 residents in three states surrounding the peak.

(Reporting by Elinor Comlay and Armando Tovar; Editor by David Brunnstrom)

Reuters

Favorite

10 members favorited this

Comment

You need to be a member of 12160 Social Network to add comments!

Join 12160 Social Network

Comment by William Cormier on April 19, 2012 at 9:25pm: The volcano in Mexico becoming active is completely understandable. Whereas I believe that Climate change is a natural phenomena that occurs in cycles, as scientific evidence suggests, there is also extremely strong evidence that Climate Change (not Global Warning - there is a difference) is causing the rise in earthquake frequency and the Magnitude of said quakes and the rise in volcanic activity we are currently witnessing. This is one of my primary interests, and if you would like to read the scientific substantiation that "Increase Of Earthquakes And Volcanic Activity Are Caused By Climate Change," please visit my site and read the article.http://ThePoliticalBandit.com/earthquakes-volcanoes/may-update-prob... I do not post anything this controversial without substantiation contained within the articles I write, and I'll leave it to you to to make-up your own minds.

I find it absurd that some scientists (Sic) claim that Global warming is man-made, albeit I do agree that our carbon emissions are exacerbating the timeline of the Climate Change we are now experiencing; that said, there have been other periods on Mother Earth when Climate Change occurred quite rapidly, a fact that too many Politicians and even those in the scientific community usually fail to mention. In fact, that is a subject that I'll be tackling in my next article on the subject. As usual, we have to do our own research in order to find the truth, even though the powers that be have known it themselves all along and attempt to stifle anything that disagrees with the propaganda that we are fed on a daily basis.

Comment by Maria De Wind on April 19, 2012 at 9:16pm

Comment by Maria De Wind on April 19, 2012 at 9:14pm

Comment by Maria De Wind on April 19, 2012 at 9:11pm: Beauty can be found everywhere

Comment by Cryptocurrency on April 19, 2012 at 9:06pm: Still waiting to here from my girl in mexico city. she's a fearless little senorita that one. that's kinda what worries me.

Comment by Maria De Wind on April 19, 2012 at 9:04pm

Comment by Maria De Wind on April 19, 2012 at 8:59pm: Apr 19, 2012 Popocatepetl Volcano Raising Concerns in Mexico

Comment by Cryptocurrency on April 18, 2012 at 6:00pm: yep that's the volcano i saw. man i hope she doesn't blow. sure, the one city i spend some time in and now the volcano's gonna explode. must be something she ate cuz damn. i had a jalapeno burger in Puebla and i didn't KNOW it was a jalapeno burger wuuuuuuu! i'll never do that again.

Comment by truth on April 18, 2012 at 2:36pm

Comment by truth on April 18, 2012 at 2:34pm: Mexican Volcano Continues to Spout Ash, Hot Rock

Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano is continuing to spout gases and hot rock fragments and it is dusting towns on its flanks with volcanic ash.