Today marks the 70th anniversary of the eruption of El Chichon volcano in Chiapas, Mexico, one of the most famous volcanoes in the world. On this day in history, July 1, 1868, the El Chichonson (Volcano of Chiapas) erupted for the first time in more than 2000 years. Sources: 12, 13
During the eruption, El Chichon lost its lava dome, and most of its volcanoes and the volcano itself were destroyed. In its place is now a mountain consisting of a series of lava domes, a lava lake and a large crater with a diameter of about 1,000 meters. Sources: 14
The last, but definitely not the last, place to visit in Chiapas is the Arqueologica Palenque, also known as the Palanque Ruins. Mexico has more than 3,000 volcanoes, 23 of which are considered active. Of the country’s 23 active volcanoes, they are the ones that have produced the Philippines “most destructive volcanic eruptions. El Chichon, Helen and the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, which were all of similar proportions, were considered “active” by some. Sources: 2, 4, 7, 9
Also in Chiapas, not far from Tapijulapa, there is another active volcano that offers days of wonderful hiking. El Chichon is one of the few volcanoes in Mexico that does not seem to be particularly volcanic. Mexico’s volcanoes are located in the same region as Guatemala’s volcano, which clusters south along with the Pacific Ocean. The few active volcanoes in the region are located in a high mountain region near the border with Guatemala, Guatemala City and the state of Guerrero. Sources: 6, 12, 14
El Chichon’s last eruption began on March 28, 1982, and devastated an area about 10 km from the volcano that covered southeastern Mexico with ash. In the northern mountains there is the Chichonal volcano, which erupted in March 1982, as well as a number of other volcanoes. Sources: 8, 10
The Neovulcan Cordillera stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico and includes Popocatepetl National Park, Chichon National Monument and Volcan de Tacana. The ancient Mayans left behind a series of monuments along the Usumacinta River, which runs through Chiapas and Guatemala, which form an archaeological corridor of great importance. It is remarkable that it borders the border between Guatemala and Mexico and is bordered by the volcanoes El Chicon, El Pueblo, San Miguel de Allende and San Luis Potosi. Today, this active volcano is a popular tourist attraction and, at 5426 meters, is the highest volcano in Mexico and one of the largest in the world. Sources: 1, 3, 10
Popocat’petl is located in the southern part of the Neovulcan Cordillera, south of Chichon National Park, and although it has not yet had a massive eruption, it is still frightening. The little-known indigenous peoples have lived in this area for thousands of years, concentrated in a small area between the volcanoes of San Miguel de Allende and San Luis Potosi, and concentrated along the Usumacinta River, near the border between Guatemala and Chiapas, in southern Mexico. El Chichon volcano is located in the centre of a region in southeastern Mexico that is predominantly inhabited by the Zoque (Mayan elated) indigenous group. Sources: 8, 9, 11
Chiapas is home to a number of ancient Mayan ruins and also has the largest indigenous population in Mexico. The neighbouring mountain village of Tapijulapa, known for its rich history, is one of 32 towns designated by the Ministry of Tourism as Pueblo Magico as part of the Chichon National Park. Sources: 6, 15
The country is located on the tip of three tectonic plates, making it one of the most seismologically active places on earth where volcanic eruptions and earthquakes shake the ground. There have been some large, catastrophic eruptions, but even small volcanic landslides can have devastating consequences in populated areas and occur in Chiapas, such as the landslide that killed more than 1,000 people in the city of Tapijulapa in 1998. Meanwhile, a large volcanic eruption in Chichon, the largest in Mexico’s history, hurled red fragments of volcanic ash and ash clouds into the sky. Sources: 0, 1, 5, 9
El Chichon became famous worldwide because it is located on the volcanic arch of Chiapanecan in southern Mexico. In 1350, El Chichon, also known as “Chichonal,” erupted, causing the largest volcanic eruption in Mexico’s history and one of the most destructive in history. The eruption of 1350 was a Vei-5 eruption, producing 2.3 cubic kilometres of tephra. It was the second largest outbreak on record and the third largest in Mexican history after the outbreak in 1340. Sources: 2, 3, 12
The eruption on 26 May 1982 was caused by the outbreak of Vei-5, the second largest in Mexico’s history after the eruption of 1340. The breaking off river of the El Chichon eruption of 26 June 1982 was formed from a 2.5 kilometre long, 1,000 metres wide and 2,500 metres high (5800 feet – high) eruption from Vea-4. It was formed from an eruption in 1350 and 1450 and an eruption in the same place in 1440. Sources: 8, 12
Places: El Chichon, Mexico
• https://www.frommers.com/destinations/mexico/in-depth/the-land–its-people 1
• https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/mexico-earthquake-el-chichon-volcano-17017553 2
• https://www.touropia.com/volcanoes-in-mexico/ 3
• https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150807220756.htm 4
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2078062/ 5
• https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/tabasco-mexico-eco-tourism 6
• https://funlifecrisis.com/chiapas-mexico/ 7
• http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0016-71692009000100003 8
• https://www.nps.gov/cham/learn/historyculture/chiapas.htm 10
• https://www.wired.com/2012/03/looking-back-at-the-1982-eruption-of-el-chichon-in-mexico/ 12
• https://geo-mexico.com/?p=6256 13
• https://www.volcanocafe.org/el-chichon/ 14
• https://www.everysteph.com/things-to-do-in-chiapas-mexico/ 15
Something Complicated 
Leave a Reply