Popocatépetl

Popocatépetl, volcanic mountain in Mexico. Its name is the Aztec word for “smoking mountain.” With an altitude of 17,887 ft (5,452 m), it is one of the highest mountains in North America, and the second-highest mountain in Mexico. Its peak is always snow-covered. “Popo,” as it is sometimes called, has not had a major eruption since 1702. It does occasionally emit smoke clouds and sulfur gas, and, less frequently, ashes and stones.