Popocatepetl volcano, which dominates the landscape 37 miles from Mexico City, has been increasingly active since Dec. 14, with a lava dome having formed in the crater, some 200 internal eruptions measured in a single day, and a plume of smoke rising more than a mile above the summit. Ten thousand people have been evacuated from nearby villages but more have refused to budge. If a major eruption occurs, air travel to Mexico City may be disrupted and ash may foul the megacity’s already polluted air; otherwise, travel to the area should not be affected.
