Parícutin


Parícutin

(pärē`ko͞otēn), active volcano, c.8,200 ft (2,500 m) high, Michoacán state, W central Mexico. In one of the most spectacular eruptions of modern times, Parícutin burst forth from a cornfield on Feb. 20, 1943, and grew discontinuously until 1952, spewing forth over a billion tons of lava. It buried the town of San Juan Parangaricutiro and the village of Parícutin, whence its name. The cone is a remarkable example of volcanic growth, and its development was closely studied by international scientific teams.

Parícutin

 

(also Paricutín), a volcano in Mexico, in the Transverse Volcanic Axis. It rises to an elevation of 2,774 m (according to some data, 3, 170 m). In 1943 there were great spurts of incandescent scoria, alternating with ejections of steam and ash, and significant lava flow. Parícutin’s eruptions, which lasted until 1952, were a combination of the strombolian and Vulcanian types.