Paricutin Volcano: History and Facts

On February 20, 1943, a fissure began in Dionisio Pulido's cornfield. The trees trembled and the Earth swelled. The surface raised itself to a height of 150 feet. Ashes, fine dust particles and gray smoke began rising from the conical formation. The ground continuously whistled a loud hiss as though it was wailing in pain. The smell of sulfur was hanging heavy in the air. Dionisio fled with his family in a terror, to save their lives. The next morning the cone had reached a height of 30 feet and grew another 120 feet during the day. The same night the lava made a blitzkrieg attack on the cornfields, giving birth to the stunning Paricutin Volcano.

The volcano derives its famous name from the village of Paricutin, which now lies buried under its lava. The entire village was relocated to an uninhabited area nearby. Surprisingly, only three deaths have been registered in the entire history of volcanic eruptions of the Paricutin. Major volcanic activity of the Paricutin was witnessed till 1952. Today, the volcanic mountain stands at a height of 424 meters (1,391.08 ft). The cinder cone has been quiet ever since.

In the first eight years, the eruptions were mellow and the lava would cover only about a 25 km square of land. However, the last eruption, which took place in February 1952, is known to have been the most violent and explosive one. Although the Mexican land is famous for its volcanic activity, the arrival of this new volcano zapped the scientists. Before Paricutin, Mexico had seen the formation of the Jorullo Volcano in 1759, southwest of Dionisio's land.

Nevertheless, it is Paricutin which has given volcanologists and scientists a chance to study the birth, life and death of a volcano. The 'Death' of a volcano implies its extinction and thus also the end of its eruptions. Mount Paricutin had a strombolian eruption, which means that the basaltic lava exploded through a single vent.

The volcano killed about 4,000 farm animals and about 500 horses died of breathing volcanic ash. Many cane-boring insects were swept out and this destroyed cane plantations. In addition, humans too suffered from breathing in, the volcanic ash. When the rains washed away the ash-laden mountain, the ash sabotaged the dams and silted the agricultural fields. The agricultural land near the volcano became infertile, as it had a high content of ash. When the volcanic activity ceased, the plant and animal life was moderately restored.

The Mount Paricutin, situated in Michoacan, Mexico, has become a tourist attraction. The breathtaking landscape has captivated many souls. The winding ways, glittering black soil, silent surroundings and an impressive views makes any nature lover fall in love with the place. The Paricutin's 9,200 feet slopes, are perfect for mountaineers. For its natural beauty and intriguing history, the youngest volcanic mountain of America, surely deserves to be amongst the seven wonders of the world!