Recent volcanic activity at Mexico’s Popocatépetl volcano
Popocatépetl is one of the most active volcanoes of Mexico.
At the end of April 2023, its volcanic activity has increased, with frequent explosions and emissions of ash and toxic gases. The National Centre for Disaster Prevention (CENAPRED) and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) have issued a yellow alert and advised people to stay away from the volcano.
This image, acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 26 April 2023 at 17:18 UTC, shows an volcano's emission plume and hot spots in the crater.
The Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites play an important role in volcanic activity monitoring thanks to the Short-Wave InfraRed channels of their Multispectral Instrument. The high spatial resolution and an average revisit time of five days allow them to monitor different volcanic processes and improve hot-spot detection techniques.
