Third Highest Volcano – Popocatepetl
Popocatepetl is an active stratovolcano located in central Mexico. It is a part of the Trans-Mexican volcanic belt. At 5426 metres, it is the second highest peak in Mexico.
- The name Popocatépetl comes from the Nahuatl words popōca meaning “it smokes” and tepētl meaning “mountain”, hence also known as “Smoking Mountain”.
- The age of the volcano is estimated to be around 730,000 years.
- With a diameter of 25 km at its base and a peak elevation of 5,450 m, it is conical in shape.
- It contains a steep-walled, 400 m × 600 m wide crater which is elliptical in shape with an orientation northeast-southwest. The height of its walls vary from 600 to 840 m in height.
- After being dormant for about half of last century, this volcano is currently active. The activity increased in 1991 and smoke has been seen continuously coming out from the crater since 1993.
List of Top 10 Active Volcanoes in 2024
The top ten volcanoes in order of altitude from highest to lowest are Mauna Loa, Mount Kilimanjaro, Popocatepetl, Mount Fuji, Mount Semeru, Mount Etna, Mount Saint Helens, Mayon Volcano, Mount Bromo, Arenal Volcano.
About 15% of the world’s active volcanoes are found along the constructive plate margins/divergent plate margins ( along the mid-oceanic ridges where two plates move in opposite directions) whereas 80% of the volcanoes are associated with destructive plate margins/convergent plate margins (where two plates collide). Also, some volcanoes are found in intraplate regions e.g. volcanoes of Hawaii island, fault zones of East Africa etc.
In this article, we will look into the details of the top 10 active volcanoes in terms of elevation, along with their location and other significant features.
Table of Content
- About Active Volcanoes in the World
- List of Top 10 Active Volcanoes in the World
- Highest Volcano – Mauna Loa
- Second Highest Volcano – Mount Kilimanjaro
- Third Highest Volcano – Popocatepetl
- Fourth Highest Volcano – Mount Fuji
- Fifth Highest Volcano – Mount Semeru
- Sixth Highest Volcano – Mount Etna
- Seventh Highest Volcano – Mount St. Helens
- Eighth Highest Volcano – Mayon Volcano
- Ninth Highest Volcano – Mount Bromo
- Tenth Highest Volcano – Arenal Volcano
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