Introduction Popocate’petl is a volcano found in Mexico that I have been following for 3 months. It is the result of a continental-oceanic plate convergence (fig. 1). When the oceanic lithosphere (the Rivera and Cocos plates) collide with the continental lithosphere (the North American plate), the oceanic plate will descend into the subduction zone. Subduction zones generate a lot of igneous magma that rises to the surface to form volcanic mountains. I will discuss the geologic …showed first 75 words of 1446 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1446 total…from REUTERS/Henry Romero) “On October 25, 2001 at approximately 0600, a steam column was observed rising 1-2.5 km above Popo’s crater, drifting to the north west” (USGS, 2001). Popocate’petl has continued to exhaust ash and gas until the present. “Geophysicists continue to interpret seismic patterns and the National Disaster Prevention Center of Mexico (CENAPRED) maintains alertness in the prevention of future catastrophic episodes. Currently Popocatepetl is scheduled among the most threatening volcanoes in the world” (Dunlap, 1996).