Popocatépetl Volcano, Mexico. This 5465 meter-high stratovocano rises only a few tens of kilometers south of Mexico City. It was dormant when we visited it in 1973, but in 1995 a series of small explosive eruptions began which are continuing at the time of this writing in 2000. Large pyroclastic flows have erupted from Popo in prehistoric times, and the millions of people who now live nearby make this a potentially very dangerous volcano. The Mexican government is closely monitoring the vital signs of Popo.
                                                                                       Photograph copyright Barbara Decker