A new volcano near Mexico City? Scientists say yes, but not so fast
MND Staff
June 20, 2023
The Chichinautzin volcanic field begins at the southern tip of Mexico City, and extends across much of the surrounding area. Scientists believe it will be at least 800 years until the potential birth of a new volcano in the area. (Luis Carbayo/Cuartoscuro)
After media coverage about the birth of a new volcano outside Mexico City went viral mexiconewsdaily.com/news/a-new-volcano-near-mexico-city-scientists-say-yes-but-not-so-fast/on social media this week, scientists from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) have clarified that the event is unlikely to happen for nearly another millennium.
“Due to the repetition of journalistic stories claiming that researchers foresee the birth of a volcano in Mexico City, the UNAM clarifies… [that] this could happen in 800 or 1,200 years,” the university said in a statement.
Chichinautzin volcanic field 2
The southern edge of Mexico City is ringed by a monogenetic volcano field. The volcanic cones and vents erupt only once in their lifetime. (Instagram)
The news stories spread after a hasty interpretation of a scientific paper published in 2008 in the Specialized Journal of Chemical-Biological Sciences.
“It is a fact that one day a new volcano will be born south of Mexico City, but it depends on the way we say it if we generate uncertainty, fear or calm,” volcanologist Hugo Delgado Granados, one of the scientific paper’s authors, told El País newspaper.
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https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/a-new-volcano-near-mexico-city-scientists-say-yes-but-not-so-fast/