Glaciar Norte was a
glacier
A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...
located on the volcanic peak of
Popocatépetl
Popocatépetl ( , , ; ) is an active stratovolcano located in the states of Puebla, Morelos, and Mexico in central Mexico. It lies in the eastern half of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. At it is the second highest peak in Mexico, after Ci ...
in the
Mexican State
A Mexican State (), officially the Free and Sovereign State (), is a constituent federative entity of Mexico according to the Constitution of Mexico. Currently there are 31 states, each with its own constitution, government, state governor, a ...
of
Puebla
Puebla, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Puebla, is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its capital is Puebla City. Part of east-centr ...
.
[ In 1964, the glacier was estimated to be long and cover on the north side of Popocatépetl. Glaciar Norte is connected to Glaciar del Ventorrillo, which lies to the west.][ In a study published in 2006, all the glaciers atop Popocatépetl had essentially disappeared due to increased volcanic activity. In the 1990s, the glaciers greatly decreased in size, partly due to warmer temperatures but largely due to increased volcanic activity. By early 2001, Popocatepetl's glaciers had become extinct; ice remained on the volcano, but no longer displayed the characteristic features of glaciers such as crevasses.]
Retreating
;Glacier retreating
Image:Popocatepetl (16387078141).jpg, 1908-1915: View of the ice cap seen from the Paso de Cortés, note the great extension.
Image:Popocatepetl-1981.jpg, March 1981: View of the ice cap seen from the same location, note the retreat of the cap, the crevasses, fracture zones and cracks on the glaciers.
Image:Mexico-Popocatepetl.jpg, June 2006: View of the glaciers, the glacial retreat is evident.
Image:Popocatepetl volcano in Mexico 20141204.jpg, December 2014 View of the glacier seen from one of the slopes of Iztaccihuatl
Iztaccíhuatl or Ixtaccíhuatl (both forms also spelled without the accent) ( or, as spelled with the x, ) is a dormant volcanic mountain in Mexico located on the border between the State of Mexico and Puebla within Izta-Popo Zoquiapan National ...
, the black coloration of the glaciers and the snow is caused by the constant fumaroles of the volcano previous months.
See also
* List of glaciers in Mexico
References
Landforms of Puebla
Glaciers of Mexico
Former glaciers of North America
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