The Wonder Book of Volcanoes and EarthquakesHouston, Edwin J. (Edwin James)
Science
The Wonder Book of Volcanoes and Earthquakes
Houston, Edwin J. (Edwin James)
Earthquakes; Volcanoes
Xinantecatl is another extinct volcanic mountain situated about forty
miles southwest of the City of Mexico. It is about 16,500 feet high.
Its name means in the ancient Aztec language, _The Naked Lord_. It is
also sometimes known as the Nevado de Toluca, or _The Snow of Toluca_.
On the top of the peak are two craters filled with lakes of fresh
water. Russell states that the larger of these lakes is about thirty
feet in depth and contain a peculiar species of fish.
Tuxtula is another volcano of Mexico, situated on the western coast
of the Gulf of Mexico, about eighty miles southeast of Vera Cruz. It
was an active volcano in 1664, when it threw out molten lava. It then
became dormant until March, 1793, when its long rest was broken by one
of the grandest explosive eruptions of modern times. This eruption
rivalled in energy the great explosive eruption which blew off the
summit of Coseguina, in Central America, in 1835. As is common in the
case of explosive eruptions, volcanic dust and scoriæ were blown high
into the air, and, being carried by the winds, fell on the roofs of
houses and on the land at a distance of 150 miles.
There have been a number of less violent eruptions of Tuxtula since
1835. Tuxtula is a comparatively low mountain, being only 4,960 feet
high, because much of the mountain was blown away by the eruption of
1793.
As Russell points out, it is not safe to infer that because an eroded
mountain is not lofty it cannot be young or energetic, since the very
energy of some of its eruptions may, as in the case of Tuxtula, blow
away a large part of the mountain. A low mountain, with an unusually
large crater, generally means a mountain that has been visited by a
great explosive eruption.
Another extinct volcano known as the Cofre de Perote is situated on
the eastern coast of Mexico, east of Ixtaccihuatl, about thirty miles
north of Orizaba. It takes its name Cofre de Perote which means the
Coffin of Perote, from its peculiar box-like shape. It was called in
the Aztec language "Nauhcampatepetl," or the _Four-Ridged Mountain_.
Cofre de Perote is in a dormant or extinct condition.
We will conclude this brief description of the volcanoes of Mexico
with the volcano of Colima, a mountain about 5,500 feet high situated
on the western coast of Mexico.
Colima has been active of recent years, eruptions having occurred in
1869, 1872, 1873, and 1885. During these eruptions lava escaped from
lateral openings in the sides of the mountain, these openings being
termed by the natives the _Sons of Colima_.
CHAPTER VIII
COSEGUINA AND OTHER VOLCANOES OF CENTRAL AMERICA
Central America has a great number of volcanoes extending along nearly
all its western coast, or on the Pacific side of the country.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account