Famous Volcanoes of Mexico

Mexico is one of the megadiverse countries in the world. There are 18 countries in the world that belong to this category due to extreme diversity in the species. Mexico has a number of world's active volcanoes that are greatly responsible for the megadiversity factor.

Sierra Madre Oriental, Sierra Madre Occidental, and Sierra Madre del Sur are the three mountain ranges in Mexico that form the volcanic axis. This volcanic axis forms the border between North America and Central America. Many famous Mexican volcanoes are on this axis. Some of them are as follows:

Pico de Orizaba, also known as Citlaltepetl, is the highest mountain in Mexico and the third highest in North America, with a height of approximately 5700 m. City of Orizaba is situated in the valley of Pico de Orizaba in the eastern part of Mexico.

Though it is 75 miles inland, it can be clearly viewed from the Gulf of Mexico which lies to the east of Pico de Orizaba. It is an active volcano, with explosive eruption style. The latest eruption of this volcano occurred in the 17th century.

Pico de Orizaba is a stratovolcano, which means that it is a composite volcano made of a number of layers. The first ascent to this glaciated peak was made in 1848, during the Mexican-American war. The best season to climb is between December and April.

Popocatepetl is the second highest peak in Mexico, with a height of approximately 5400 m. Popocatepetl is the Aztec name for 'smoking mountain'. It has mildly erupted many times for the last 600 years, and there are possibilities of future eruptions too. It can be viewed on a clear day from the Mexico City, which is 40 miles to the north-east of the peak.

Amecameca is a city of 25 million people that is endangered due to the ever-present volcano. Popocatepetl has a crater which is 250-450 m deep.

In spite of the continuous lava flowing out from this volcano, it is covered with glaciers throughout the year. Eruptions in this active volcano cause a severe mud-flow due to the melting glaciers in the southern areas of Popocatepetl.

Iztaccihuatl is the third highest peak in Mexico, with a height of approximately 5230 m. It is called a 'woman in white' (meaning of Iztaccihuatl) because its four peaks appear to depict the head, chest, knees, and feet of a sleeping woman.

Iztaccihuatl is 40 miles to the south-east of Mexico city, and is visible from the city, depending on the climatic conditions. Iztaccihuatl has the same geological character as that of Popocatepetl, but volcanic eruptions in the former is history today.

Agricultural areas have flourished in this part of Mexico due to the stability in volcanic eruptions. In 1889, James de Salis climbed the Izta (local name for Iztaccihuatl), but archaeological evidences have proved that the Aztecs had previously climbed it.

Paricutin is one of the recent volcanoes that erupted last between 1943 and 1952, which is an unusually long period for volcanic eruptions. It erupted in a cornfield in a Tarascon village, 200 miles to the west of Mexico City, and is named after a small Indian village.

Dionisio Pulido witnessed the birth of this volcano when he was working in his field with his wife. San Juan Parangaricutiro and Paricutin were the villages situated near this fissure. They were evacuated soon, and within a year, the place got covered with lava and ash.

It gave the scientists their first chance to study a volcano from its birth to its extinction. Paricutin is considered to be one of the seven wonders of the natural world.

Colima is situated 300 miles west of Mexico City. It is considered to be the most active and disastrous volcanoes in Mexico. This volcano is erupting since 1585, and recently, it had several eruptions in the late 1990s.

It is the most prominent and potentially dangerous volcano in the volcanic axis of Mexico. It consists of two peaks, namely Nevado De Colima in the north and Volcan de Colima in the south.

Although volcanic eruptions are a disastrous calamity, beautiful lakes, hot springs, waterfalls, and sylvan mountains are some of the splendid gifts of a volcano after its death.