An erupting volcano is a powerful force--thick
clouds of ash filling the sky, hot rocks hurling
through the air, lava covering everything in its
path. The mysteries of such an explosion, coming
from the depths of the earth, tantalize scientists
and non-scientists alike--which is precisely what
makes Paricutin a natural wonder.
Paricutin exploded out of a Mexican cornfield about
200 miles west of Mexico City in early 1943, giving
the modern world its first opportunity to witness
the birth of a volcano. Within a year, the
volcano's cinder cone reached 1,100 feet. Within
two years, its slow-moving lava flows buried most
of the town of Paricutin and partially buried its
neighbor, San Juan Parangricutiro.
The lava eventually covered about 10 square miles.
By the time the eruption ended in a blaze of
violent activity in 1952, Paricutin's cinder cone
added another 290 feet.
Miraculously, the lava and ash caused no fatalities
(although three people died from lightning
associated with the eruption). But the young
volcano changed forever the lives of the villagers
who lived at its foot -- and provided an
unprecedented look at the earth's amazing
volcanic power.
