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The Popocatepetl volcano releases a plume of gas and ash seen from the town of San Hipolito Chimalpa in Tlaxcala, Mexico on October 23, 2024.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Mexico’s most active volcano, along with the jet stream pattern, sent ash over the Gulf of Mexico and Florida on Saturday, allowing emissions to be visible to pilots and sunset seekers.

NOAA satellites detected plumes originating from Popocatépetl volcano and traveled hundreds of miles to the northeast.

According to the National Weather Service office in Jacksonville, Florida, pilots reported seeing ash in the air near Sarasota along Florida’s Gulf Coast, and if the sky was clear, a colorful sunset was possible around the high ash concentrations .

Due to the minimal amounts of airborne material, there were no known threats to aircraft or a significant reduction in the air quality in Florida, which was generally rated as good to moderate based on observations.

Closer to the crater of the volcano, flight operations in and out MexicoPuebla International Airport was reported to be affected on Friday and Saturday due to significant ash fall in the area.

The the country’s National Disaster Prevention Center reported the observation of emissions of water vapor, volcanic gases and ash from the mountain and the possibility of minor to moderate explosions.

Popocatépetl has been active since 1994 and has experienced episodes of increased activity, including the forcing of 40,000 residents from their homes in December 2000.

In May 2023, ash emissions forced authorities to open evacuation shelters, close nearby schools, and temporarily close airfields, including Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport.

Despite occasional spikes in activity, the US Geological Survey has previously warned that Popocatépetl has the potential for severe eruptions.

The last major eruption was reported in 800 AD, and if a similar event were to occur today, the USGS estimates that hundreds of thousands of lives would be in immediate danger.

Due to Mexico’s location along the Pacific Ring of Fire, the country is home to dozens of volcanoes, several that have been active since the 1950s.

Estimates of the number of active volcanoes vary, but a survey by the Global Volcanism Program identified 35 volcanoes that have been active for the past 11,700 years.

Additional ash sightings over the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and the southeastern US are possible if the eruptions coincide with upper-level wind waves, as they generally move from west to east in the region.

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