Some of the tallest mountains in the world are stratovolcanoes.
Popocatepetl, or Popo, as it is called by many, is North America's second tallest volcano. The name derives from the Aztec word for "smoking mountain." It is extremely active, with nearby residents of Mexico City sometimes seeing plumes of gas rise from its summit.
Description
Popocatepetl's summit rises 17,802 feet. It is a giant stratovolcano, a large, steep-sided, dangerous, cone-shaped volcano. Glaciers top the active volcano near its large crater.
History
Popocatepetl is one of Mexico's most active volcanoes. Radiocarbon dating places estimates of early eruptions as far back as 7150 BC. The Aztecs of the region recorded eruptions in 1346 and 1354, and historical records note well over a dozen eruptions since 1519. Eruptive activity was ongoing as of 2010.
Significance
An enormous, active stratovolcano is unpredictable and Popocatepetl could spew ash, gas, lava and create lahars (mudflows) and pyroclastic flows on a tremendous scale at anytime.
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