Popocatépetl, one of Mexico's most active volcanoes, has created alarm among nearby communities as its seismic activity heightened over the weekend. From Saturday, July 8, there was a noticeable increase in tremors, which culminated in a volcanotectonic earthquake on Monday, July 10.
The National Center for Disaster Prevention (Cenapred) reported that over the past 24 hours, a 1.4 magnitude volcanotectonic earthquake was detected at Popocatépetl. The seismic activity was recorded on Sunday, July 9, at 10:45 p.m. local time.
While the earthquake was barely perceptible to some communities close to the volcano, residents living on the slopes of "Popo" reported ash fall resulting from the increased activity of "Don Goyo", a local name for the volcano. The ash fall is expected to continue due to the ongoing volcanic activity.
Regarding the tremor episodes, Don Goyo displayed activity that lasted for 213 minutes, or nearly four hours of continuous volcanic movement. According to Civil Protection and Cenapred authorities, this activity included 3.33 hours of low to medium amplitude high-frequency segments and at least 13 minutes of low-amplitude harmonic tremor.
Currently, the volcanic alert traffic light remains at Yellow Phase 2 despite the prolonged tremor episodes that ended with a mild earthquake. However, authorities that monitor Popocatépetl around the clock will continue to track the activity recorded by the volcano.
Under Yellow Phase 2, anticipated scenarios include minor to moderate size explosions, occurrence of variable amplitude tremors, light ash fall, and the expulsion of incandescent fragments within a 12-kilometer radius.
The Institute of Geophysics of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) explains that a volcanic tremor is a type of continuous movement or vibration of the volcanic interior soil. This movement signifies the flow of magma within the volcano, which can be via a fracture or a conduit.
This activity is often accompanied by crater explosions and emissions of pyroclastic material, as well as vapor exhalation and ash fall in surrounding regions. As such, communities near Popocatépetl are advised to stay vigilant.
Monday, the National Center for Communication and Civil Protection Operations (Cenacom) reported that there was a slight fall of ash in the municipalities of Amecameca, Ayapango, Temamatla, and Tenango del Aire, located in the State of Mexico.
