What do you know about Don Goyo? Don Goyo is more than just a volcano. It is an active stratovolcano in central Mexico. You can see Don Goyo from Mexico City on clear days.
Popocatépetl is the volcano’s official name. It comes from Nahuatl words meaning Smoking Mountain. Mexicans also call it El Popo affectionately. Locals also use Don Goyo. This nickname comes from the mountain’s association with San Gregorio. Goyo is a short form of Gregorio.
The people of Santiago Xalitzina call it Don Goyo. This small community lives near the volcano. Legend says a villager met an old man on the slopes. The man introduced himself as Gregorio Chino Popocatépetl. He said he was the spirit of the volcano. Gregorio warns locals if an eruption is coming. Every March 12 on San Gregorio’s day people bring flowers and food to celebrate. They honor the volcano’s spirit.
Popocatépetl is Mexico’s second-highest peak. It stands at 5,393 meters. That is 17,694 feet high. It is located in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. This area spans Puebla, Morelos and Mexico states.
Popocatépetl links to Iztaccihuatl. This twin volcano lies to the north. The high saddle between them is called Paso de Cortés. Izta-Popo Zoquiapan National Park includes both volcanoes. The park’s name honors them.
Popocatépetl is about 70 kilometers southeast of Mexico City. That is 43 miles. You can often see it. This depends on the weather. Glaciers once capped its peak. Glaciar Norte was one. These glaciers shrank in the 1990s. Warmer temperatures and volcanic activity caused this. By 2001 the glaciers were gone. Ice remains but not as glaciers.
Popocatépetl’s lava is mostly andesitic. It has also erupted dacite. The current activity produces a mix of both. The andesites are rich in magnesium. The volcano has a steep-walled crater. It measures 400 by 600 meters. Ventorrillo sits on the northwest side. It is a remnant of an older volcano.
At least three major cones collapsed in the past. This happened during the Pleistocene epoch. These collapses created massive debris avalanches. These cover broad areas south of the volcano. The modern volcano rose south of the El Fraile cone.
Three major Plinian eruptions occurred. The most recent was about 800 AD. These eruptions included pyroclastic flows. They also created lahars. These swept basins below the volcano.
Paleomagnetic studies estimate Popocatépetl’s age. It is about 730000 years old. The volcano is cone-shaped. It measures 25 kilometers across its base. That is about 16 miles.
Popocatépetl is currently active. It was dormant for half the last century. Activity increased in 1991. Smoke constantly emanates from the crater since 1993. The Deep Earth Carbon Degassing Project monitors it.
Popocatépetl has had over 15 major eruptions since the Spanish arrived in 1519. One eruption in the mid-to-late first century may have triggered migrations to Teotihuacan. Eruptions occurred in 1363 and later years. In December 2000 thousands evacuated due to the volcano’s largest display in 1200 years. January and February 2012 saw increased activity.
Popocatépetl erupted 13 times in 24 hours on February 27-28 2024. This caused airport delays in Mexico City and Puebla.
Remember Don Goyo’s story. He is a mountain. He is a legend. He is a force of nature.