Chichón Volcano, Mexico

Recent unusual activity at Chichón volcano in southern Mexico, including crater lake changes and shallow seismic signals, indicates an active hydrothermal system. The developments have led to continued monitoring under a Yellow alert, phase 2.

Chichón Volcano:

Dimension	Key Details
Name Origin	Derived from the Chiapas term “Chichón,” meaning little bump
Location	Located in southern Mexico
Volcano Type	Classified as a stratovolcano
Geological Setting	Part of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt above the subduction of the Cocos Plate beneath the North American Plate
Crater Feature	Contains a crater lake formed after the 1982 eruption
Historical Eruption	1982 eruption killed over 2,000 people and caused global temperature dip due to sulfur dioxide emissions
Current Alert Status	Yellow alert, phase 2 indicating abnormal but non-eruptive activity
Crater Lake Observations	High temperature up to 118°C with chemical presence of sulfates, chloride, H₂S and CO₂
Seismic Activity	Shallow low-magnitude quakes indicating an active hydrothermal system
Potential Hazards	Provides risk of phreatic explosions, toxic gas emissions and localized hydrothermal hazards
Monitoring Authority	National Autonomous University of Mexico deploys drones and remote sensing for heat and gas monitoring
Restricted Zone	Crater and immediate surroundings remain a permanent danger zone