Paricutin
Paricutin is probably Mexico's most famous volcano but it is a small
one. Paricutin is but one of >1000 vents in the Michoacan-Guanajuato
monogenetic field. The reason Paricutin is famous is because people were
able to observe it forming from its very beginning. It is the famous
"volcano that grew out of a cornfield". It was not really a very dangerous
eruption for people, but it was quite destructive of their agricultural
lands, livestock, and way of life. The eruption lasted from 1943 until
1952, produced a large cinder and ash cone, and covered an area about 8
kilometers by 8 kilometers with slow-moving lava flows. A very
comprehensive book that covers just about everything known about Paricutin,
was recently written by Jim Luhr and Tom Simkin of the Smithsonian
Institution.
Go here for more information on Paricutin.
Go here to see a slide show on the evolution of Paricutin.
To VolcanoWorld