Description Parícutin

parícutin in 1997

parícutin located in mexican municipality of nuevo parangaricutiro, michoacán, 29 kilometres (18 mi) west of city of uruapan , 322 km west of mexico city. lies on northern flank of cerros de tancítaro, lies on top of old shield volcano , extends 3,170 meters (10,400 ft) above sea level , 424 meters (1,391 ft) above valley of quitzocho-cuiyusuru, wedged against old volcanic mountain chains , surrounded small volcanic cones intervening valleys occupied small fields , orchards or small settlements, groups of few houses size of towns.

parícutin las cabañas

the volcano lies on, , product of, trans-mexican volcanic belt, runs 900 kilometres (560 mi) west-to-east across central mexico. includes sierra nevada mountain range (a set of extinct volcanoes) thousands of cinder cones , volcanic events. volcanic activity here has created central mexican plateau , rock deposits 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) deep. has created fertile soils widespread deposition of ash , thereby of mexico’s productive farmland. volcanic activity here result of subduction of rivera , cocos plates along middle america trench. more specifically, volcano youngest of approximately 1,400 volcanic vents of michoacán-guanajuato volcanic field, 40,000 square kilometres (15,000 sq mi) basalt plateau filled scoria cones parícutin, along small shield volcanoes, maars, tuff rings , lava domes. scoria cones common type of volcano in mexico, appearing , building cone-shaped mountain steep slopes before going extinct. parícutin s immediate predecessor el jorullo, in michoacán, erupted in 1759.

view of volcano town of angahuan

currently crater of volcano 200 meters (660 ft) across , possible both climb volcano , walk around entire perimeter. although classified extinct scientists, parícutin still hot, , seeping rainwater reacts heat cone still emits steam in various streams. forces created volcano still active. in 1997 there vigorous swarm of 230 earthquakes in parícutin area due tectonic movement, 5 above 3.9 on moment magnitude scale. there reports of rumbling in 1995 , of black steam , rumbling in 1998. in summer of 2006, there major volcanic earthquake swarm, on 300 located near volcano, indicating magma movement, no eruption @ parícutin or anywhere else.