Volcán de Colima, an active stratovolcano (cone-shaped volcano made up of layers of ash and lava) on the border between Jalisco and Colima States in Mexico, began a series of eruptions in the first week of July 2015, with ash plumes rising as much as 3 km above the volcano's summit and the growth of a lava dome (mound-shaped structure formed by the slow production of highly viscous lava) close to the mountain's summit. On 12 July at about noon local time a large eruption on the volcano produced an ash column 7.5 km in height, which drifted 150 km to the west. This was followed by a second eruption slightly after 8.15 pm which deposited incandescent material on the western and southwestern flanks of the volcano, produced a 4 km high ash column and triggered a series of small pyroclastic flows (avalanches of hot ash and gas). This led to ash falls in communities up to 18 km from the mountain, which prompted local authorities to order evacuations of some nearby villages, as well as voluntary evacuations by members of some other communities. Eruptive activity has continued at roughly the same level since this time, prompting some other evacuations, and making it unlikely that those evacuated will be able to return to their homes soon; at the current time a mandatory evacuation of all homes within 12 km of the volcano is in place.
Ash from Volcán de Colima falling on nearby communities. AP.
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.
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