According to a study published in 2008 by researchers from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) Hugo Delgado Granados and Roberto Villalpando, we can expect, in the near future, the birth of a new volcano south of Mexico City.
The birth of a new volcano in the Sierra del Chichinautzin
The investigation, titled Method to forecast the location of a new volcano south of Mexico City, states that every 1,700 years a geological formation of this type arises in the so-called Neovolcanic Axis, a chain of volcanoes that runs from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, crossing several states, including the country’s capital.
Consequently, considering that the last recorded eruption of a volcano occurred between 1,700 and 2,000 years ago, then the inhabitants of Mexico City could witness the birth of a new colossus in the Sierra del Chichinautzin or Serranía de Ajusco, an area located to the south, between Mexico City, the State of Mexico and Morelos.
It should be noted that this area is an active volcanic field, with geological and magmatic activity, formed by more than 300 monogenetic volcanoes, among which the volcano del Xitleborn almost two thousand years ago and located in Cuicuilco.
What is a monogenetic volcano?
Unlike Popocatépetl, which is polygenetic, the new geological formation would be monogenetic, that is, small, with a short existence and a single expulsion. However, the risk of its appearance lies in the difficulty of predicting where and when it would appear.
Finally, and for the tranquility of the inhabitants of the area, the UNAM has deployed a team of experts who monitor the area in search of any volcanic eventuality; and if there were any eruption, those affected would be evacuated with enough time to avoid human losses.