The most active volcanoes in Mexico are located in the neovolcanic mountain range, although there are also large active or extinct craters with great geothermal activity in other areas of the country. Below we offer you a list of the most dangerous active volcanoes in Mexico and the most impressive inactive ones.
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INDEX
1. How many volcanoes are there in Mexico
2. The most active volcanoes in Mexico
3. The most impressive inactive volcanoes in Mexico
How many volcanoes are there in Mexico
From Pico de Orizaba or Citlaltepetl, the highest volcano, to Fuego de Colima and Popocatepetl, the most dangerous and active, Mexico is a country with great volcanic activity . It is estimated that there are about 500 volcanoes in the entire territory , of which only a dozen are still active.
Within these volcanoes there are authentic geological ancients such as the Derrumbado Rojo, 60 million years old, and there are more recent ones such as the Paricutin, the youngest volcano in Mexico that emerged in 1943.
The most active and dangerous volcanic and seismic zones are located in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where there are active volcanoes with a latent threat of eruption that can cause tsunamis and earthquakes, as well as damage to neighboring populations due to the expulsion of incandescent material. and gases.
The most active volcanoes in Mexico
These are the active volcanoes in Mexico that with more or less intensity register a geological activity with the possibility of erupting. Some of them have recorded strong eruptions in recent years, and are under permanent surveillance.
1. Cerro Pelon
Volcano Cerro Pelon. | Assigned.
Near Guadalajara, in the Sierra de Primavera (Jalisco), a crater of fire called Cerro Pelon volcano, also known as Cerro Chino, rises in the middle of an area with a lot of volcanic activity. It is a large caldera 78 km in diameter that expels a fumarole from a body of magma 5 km underground.
In addition, in the vicinity of this volcano, which rises to 1,700 meters above sea level, there is a lagoon that gives off gases of water vapor between pools of boiling mud.
2. Fuego de Colima
Volcano Fuego de Colima. | Wikimedia Commons.
This is one of the most active volcanoes in the area. The Colima volcano rises to 3,960 meters above sea level between the towns of Colima and Jalisco. In 500 years it has recorded up to 40 eruptions , the last one in 1999.
On June 6, 2005 at 11 in the morning, an eruptive column reached 4 km above the volcano, throwing rock ash and pyroclastics. Since 2015, its activity has increased and it is under permanent surveillance . The surroundings of the volcano are sown with populations that are exposed to the constant danger of its craters.
3. Evermann
Volcano Evermann. | Assigned.
On January 29, 1993, it made its last eruption.the Evermann volcano, located 1,130 meters above sea level in the Revillagigedo archipelago, in Colima. In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, this crater presents a great activity and since 2014 geologists consider it a latent danger with the possibility of unleashing a tsunami.
Indeed, a new eruption of Evermann, located 600 miles from the continental shelf, could generate tidal movements resulting in a tsunami. If that happened, nearby towns would have only about 30 minutes to react .
4. San Andres
Lagoon in San Andres volcano. | TravelJet.
The San Andres volcano is located in Hidalgo, in the state of Michoacan, and the top is 3,690 meters above sea level. Although listed as an active volcano, this two-million-year-old geological monster has no recorded eruptions since 1858 .
The San Andres, in addition, is located in a geologically very dynamic area that includes hot springs , boiling mud pools, and strong geothermal activity that is used to generate energy.
5. Jorullo
Volcano Jorullo. | Wikimedia Commons.
El Jorullo is a cinder cone recorded as one of Mexico’s active volcanoes. It is located on the central plateau of Michoacan and measures 1,320 meters above sea level.Lava from the volcano’s vents covers nine square kilometers around the volcano, and recent eruptions have enlarged the size of the craters.
It is a relatively young volcano, since its birth is dated in 1759 during an eruption that lasted fifteen years .
6. Paricutin
Volcano Paricutin. | Wikimedia Commons.
This active volcano in Mexico has the particularity of being the youngest of the volcanoes in Mexico: its birth is recorded on February 20, 1943. In addition, due to its appearance it is considered one of the great natural wonders of the world .
On the aforementioned date, a peasant felt a tremor in the earth and noticed the emanation of a thick steam with the blasting of stones in the midst of a shrill sound. The lava traveled about 10 kilometers for 9 years without fatalities, although it buried two towns .
7. Ceboruco
Volcano Ceboruco. | Assigned.
In the indigenous language, its name represents a “heap of stones”, although in the area it is better known as the “black giant” . The Ceboruco volcano is located in the state of Nayarit, and measures about 2,164 meters above sea level.
Its crater is still open and has slow but periodic releases of vapors and gases.. This is the reason why the Ceboruco volcano is considered to be one of the active volcanoes in Mexico, although it does not represent a serious threat to the population. Its last eruption was in 1871, and the previous one had taken place 500 years earlier.
8. San Martin
Volcano of San Martin. | Wikimedia Commons.
With almost 1,700 meters above sea level, the volcano of San Martin Tuxtla is an active crater of 1 kilometer in diameter . Although it is cataloged as active, the eruptions took place until 1796, and since then there has been no activity.
However, as a result of those eruptionsmounds of slag formed around it that form around 300 cones with periodic activity. The added danger of this active volcano is that it is surrounded by a lush expanse of forest.
9. Collapsed Red
Volcano Collapsed Red. | Assigned.
Nestled in a mountain range within the population of Puebla, three volcanic groups rise, among which the so-called Derrumbado Rojo volcano stands out (along with the smallest, Derrumbado Blanco, and the medium one, Derrumbado Azul).
With 60 million years old, this volcano of 3,480 meters above sea level constantly expels fumarolesof water vapor that are known by the residents of the area as “los humeros”. The particularity of these volcanoes is that within their huge craters there are several lagoons.
10. Popocatepetl
Volcan Popocatepetl. | Assigned.
The Popocatepetl volcano, on the border between Puebla and Morelos, is the second highest in Mexico (5,500 meters above sea level) and is also highly active. Visually powerful, due to its symmetrical shape with the snow-capped peak , this volcano continues to represent a threat to the populations that are nearby.
In 2014 there was an eruption with several explosions of incandescent material, water vapor and ash. In 2016, new small eruptions were observed that preceded a large one.expulsion of incandescent material 1.6 kilometers away .
11. Chichon Chichon
Volcano. | Twitter.
Also known as Chichonal, this volcano is located in a mountainous region between Chapultenango and Francisco Leon, in Chiapas. Not only is it an active volcano, but it is also classified as one of the most dangerous because instead of spewing lava and ash , it expels aerosols of sulfuric acid that rise into the atmosphere.
The last major eruption was in 1982, and the expulsion of magmatic material kept the sky dark for hours , in addition to causing major seismic movements. The apocalyptic panorama had consequences for some towns around it, which disappeared completely.
12. Tacana
Volcano Tacana. | Assigned.
Between Mexico and Guatemala, the Tacana volcano rises to a height of 4,092 meters above sea level, known for containing thermal springs with temperatures between 40 and 55 degrees at a height of between 1,500 and 2,100 meters.
Although it is one of the active volcanoes in Mexico, in reality the last eruptions of Tacana were hardly relevant. That does not mean that the experts have permanently controlled the so-called “Colossus of the South”, since it is still considered dangerous.
The most impressive dormant volcanoes in Mexico
Although these volcanoes do not register activity, their imposing presence and the meaning they have for their environment make them emblematic volcanoes in Mexico. Some of them are also the highest in all of Mexico.
13. Citlaltepetl
Ceded. | Citlaltepetl volcano.
Also known as Pico de Orizaba, this volcano located between the towns of Puebla and Veracruz has a size of 5,747 meters above sea level and is considered the highest point in Mexico . After McKinsley in Alaska and Mount Logan in Canada, it is the highest point in North America.
Its postcard is a gift for the eyes, because due to its height the top is covered with snow. However, at the time this volcano spit fire. It has been inactive since 1687, the date on which it had its last eruption.
14. Cerro Prieto
Summit of the Cerro Prieto volcano. | Assigned.
Legend has it that to avenge his sister, a hero set fire to the sorceress who lived in the cave of Cerro Prieto, and from that fire the volcano was born. Actually, this fiery giant that rises 220 meters above sea level was formed about 80,000 years ago by two eruptive events.
Right now the Cerro Prieto volcano is in a dormant state , termed as volcanoes are known that do not present a danger of eruption in the coming years. However, it is part of a geothermal zone with seismic movements.
15. Iztaccihuatl
Iztaccihuatl volcano. | Wikimedia Commons.
Although seismically considered an active volcano, this is an extinct crater of great height (5,230 meters above sea level) that is known as “the white lady”. Although it has a powerful geological formation, its activity has never been seen by humans except for the record of gas exhalation 200 years ago .
Between the state of Mexico and Puebla, the volcano is nestled in a large glacier and takes its name from its shape , since seen in profile with the snowy hills it looks like a woman in a white dress.
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Bibliographic references
Macias, JL (2005). Geology and eruptive history of some of the great active volcanoes of Mexico. Bulletin of the Mexican Geological Society, 57(3), 379-424.
