Red skies at night: how a volcano in Mexico could be enhancing Florida sunsets

If you’ve noticed a more vibrant sunset in our State, there’s a good chance it might be because of an active volcano in Mexico. Scientists say the volcano’s dust and ash hopped a ride on the jet stream and made its way across the Gulf Coast to Florida over the past week.

Satellite imagery also picked up dust and aerosols in the atmosphere over the Gulf of Mexico. The ash originated from the Popocatepetl volcano in Central Mexico, one of the country’s most active volcanoes. It has had 15 major eruptions in recorded history, the last occurring in 800 A.D.

Last Saturday the National Weather Service office in Jacksonville said pilots reported seeing ash in the air near Sarasota, along the Gulf Coast. Due to the minimal amounts of airborne material, there were no known threats to aircraft or a significant reduction in air quality.

The U.S. Geological Survey has warned that the Popocatepetl volcano has the potential for severe eruptions. However, last Wednesday, Popocatepetl emitted a heart-shaped blast of steam and gasses through a large fumarole, an opening in the earth’s crust. The photo went viral as social media users joked that love was in the air.

Popocatépetl has been active since 1994 and has gone through episodes of increased activity, including forcing 40,000 residents from their homes in December 2000.

Estimates of the number of active volcanoes in Mexico vary, but a survey by the Global Volcanism Program identifies at least 35 volcanoes that have been active over the past 11,000 years. Scientist say additional observations of ash over the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and Southeast U.S. are possible as eruptions coincide with favorable upper-level wind patterns over the next few weeks.