World’s most dangerous volcano stirs after nearly 50 years | World | News

One of the world’s most dangerous volcanoes has begun to stir after lying dormant for almost half a century.

Mexico’s El Chichón  last erupted in 1982 in a blast that proved nothing short of catastrophic. High-sulphur explosions and anhydrite-rich magma destroyed the summit dome, unleashing lava flows and surges across an eight-kilometre radius.

In just over a week, three eruptions left a trail of death and devastation. Thousands were killed, entire villages were wiped off the map and many more fled in desperate attempts to escape the carnage.

But the volcano’s violent past may stretch even further back. A 2017 research paper suggested one of El Chichón’s eruptions in the 6th century may have been a civilisation-ending event. Scientists believe it could have contributed to the collapse of the Mayan civilisation, plunging the region into a century-long “dark age”.

Now, in 2026, volcanologists monitoring the deadly stratovolcano have detected worrying changes beneath the Earth’s surface and within the volcano itself — all signs pointing to a return of El Chichón’s old, highly active and violent behaviour.

According to environmental news outlet Green Matters, scientists from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) tracked the volcano’s movements in the latter half of 2025. They recorded consistent movement within El Chichón’s crater.

Elevated temperatures, gas causing visible bubbling and sulphur formations were all observed. The research team then inspected the crater lake and found hollow sulphur spheres that were formed in the presence of liquid sulfur pools. Lakebed temperatures also spiked.

In fact, changes have been occurring within the volcano for some time. Dr Mariana Patricia Jácome Paz studied El Chichón from 2021 to 2025, telling her audience in a recent lecture that changes are occurring just beneath the earth’s crust — changes that indicate El Chichón may be stirring to wake.

Dr Paz said that the spike in activity is most likely caused by superheated groundwater reacting to hot rocks, rather than reacting with molten magma as it rises towards the planet’s surface.

“The observed behaviour is consistent with hydrothermal processes or minor steam-driven explosions,” Dr Paz said.

It also indicates the volcano is shifting away from its sleepy dormant state towards a period of increased activity.

A 2025 paper by Dr Paz indicates new magma-hydrothermal interactions are taking place within El Chichón. In simple terms, this means rising hot magma is coming into contact with water beneath the earth, which can create steam, pressure and, ultimately, an eruption. Significant magma-hydrothermal interactions can even lead to mega-explosive volcanic eruptions.

Gas sampling has also revealed an uptick in hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide near the volcano’s crater. These gases can pose a grave risk to life if they build up in enclosed or low-lying areas, so scientists are keeping a close watch.

Despite the growing concern, Mexican scientists have said such emissions are common in active hydrothermal systems and do not necessarily point to an imminent eruption.

Researchers are continuously monitoring the changes bubbling beneath the surface of Mexico’s “spicy mountain”, using drones, satellite sensors and on-site instruments. They are tracking every shift in the hope of preventing a repeat of the 1982 disaster, with early detection key to public safety.

Experts say that, for now, there is no cause for public alarm. But the renewed activity below our feet is subject to change, and dormant volcanoes are rarely truly inactive — even if they have been suspiciously quiet for nearly 50 years.