Thursday 19 January 2017

Eruption on Volcán de Colima.

Volcán de Colima, a stratovolcano (cone shaped volcano made up of layers of ash and lava) in southern Mexico which gives its name to both the state of Colima and the Colima Volcanic Complex, erupted slightly after midnight local time on Thursday 19 January 2016, with the largest eruption producing an ash column that rose 2 km above the summit of the mountain. Colima is one of Mexico's most active volcanoes, having erupted more than 40 times since records began in the area in 1576. It has been erupting more-or-less continuously since 2001, with the current bout of eruptions having begun about two week ago.

 Eruption on Colima on 19 January 2017. Webcams de Mexico.

The volcanoes of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (including Volcán de Colima) are fueled by the subduction of the Cocos Plate beneath the North American Plate along the Middle American Trench to the south of Mexico. As the subducting plate sinks into the Earth it is melted by the heat and pressure, and volatile minerals liquify and rise through the overlying North American Plate as magma, fueling Mexico's volcanoes.

The location of Volcán de Colima. Google Maps.

See also...

http://sciencythoughts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/eruptions-on-volcan-de-colima.html
http://sciencythoughts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/further-eruptions-on-volcan-de-colima.html

http://sciencythoughts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/landslides-kill-at-least-40-as-tropical.html
http://sciencythoughts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/eruptions-on-mount-popocatepetl.html
http://sciencythoughts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/magnitude-47-earthquake-off-coast-of.html
http://sciencythoughts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/eruption-on-mount-popocatepetl.html

Follow Sciency Thoughts on Facebook.