The Popocatépetl volcano, popularly known as 'Don Goyo', attracted the attention of local residents on Thursday, October 24. Monitoring cameras captured fumaroles and the emission of incandescent material from the volcano, generating photographs that spread on social media. At one particular moment, the smoke column took the shape of a heart, which was captured by neighbors from nearby towns.
The National Coordination of Civil Protection reported that Popocatépetl is at Yellow Phase 2 due to increased activity, with a light fall of ash in surrounding areas and the launch of incandescent fragments. SkyAlert and other sources also reported moderate emissions of ash towards the State of Mexico, Hidalgo, and west of Tlaxcala.
The peculiar scene of the 'smoke heart' in the sky surprised internet users, evoking both amazement and romance. This image recalled the pre-Hispanic love story between Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, which according to legend, became mountains due to the tragedy of a lovesick warrior and a fainting princess. Mexican webcams shared the image with a comment related to this story.
Furthermore, the fumaroles were the result of intense volcanic activity during the night, which kept 'Don Goyo' at Yellow Phase 2 alert.
