Researchers documented observations from their latest expedition, emphasizing the dynamic interior and ongoing questions raised by results.

The project culminates years of data collection toward a direct, data-driven visualization of the volcano’s interior to inform science and public safety.

The project aims to improve understanding of eruption precursors and enhance authorities’ ability to respond to eruptions, especially given Popocatépetl’s high population density within 62 miles (100 kilometers) and critical infrastructure at risk.

Understanding Popocatépetl’s interior seeks to improve hazard assessment and provide residents and authorities with more reliable information to guide eruption responses and evacuations when needed.

The interior image reveals multiple magma pools at different depths separated by rock and other material, indicating a more complex internal structure than traditional single-vent models.

The 3D cross-section extends about 11 miles (18 kilometers) below the crater, showing concentrated activity toward the southeast and a complex interior.

The 3D view reaches 11 miles beneath the crater, challenging simplistic models of magma pathways and highlighting a layered interior.

Field expeditions involved arduous climbs with heavy equipment, facing hazards such as lahars, ash, and potential pyroclastic flows, with long hours of data collection.

Practical challenges included equipment battery failures, animal interference, and the dangers of lahar and pyroclastic events that shape ongoing data collection.

Researchers conducted high-elevation fieldwork to install and maintain instruments and collect data amid volcanic hazards.

The volcano is treated as a natural laboratory with open questions about why tremors are more frequent on the southeast side and what this implies for magma dynamics and eruption behavior.

The project aims to improve real-time assessment and response by authorities during eruptions and to address questions about tremor distribution and magma accumulation.