Popocatepetl volcano
Popocatepetl volcano
Mexico's mighty Popocatepetl volcano erupted on Wednesday (March 06), sending a plume of gas and ash 1,200 meters (3,937 feet) into the sky, according to Mexico's disaster prevention agency.

Images showed the ash plume being discharged into the sky high above the snow covered slopes of the mountain. The eruption occurred at 8:26 a.m. on Wednesday according to Mexico's National Disaster Prevention Center.

Servando de la Cruz, a researcher at Mexico's National Autonomous University, said the volcano's current activity, while spectacular, was within the limits of recent historical eruptions and the volcano was being monitored by authorities for any heightened activity.

Popocatepetl is 5,426 meters (17,802 feet) tall and is the second highest mountain in Mexico and the fifth highest in North America.