Have you heard Paricutín? In the 1970s, when I was growing up in New Jersey, Mexico seemed like a faraway place from which I could only see Clint Eastwood films. But moving to Mexico brought two childhood stories to life: Teotihuacán and the amazing Paricutín volcano.
The huge popularity of Paricutín
Not because it was big, but because it was the first ash cone volcano that was watched live. These small, short-lived geological wonders appear out of nowhere, explode for a while, and then go back to sleep.
In 1943, Paricutín came out of the fields of Dionisio Pulido, a farmer from Michoacán. It erupted for nine years, leaving behind a 424-meter-high cone that changed the environment, buried two towns, and damaged three others.
A Blessing in Plain Sight
Today, many people come to Paricutín to see the “smouldering” cone and the partially buried San Juan Parangaricutiro church. That’s a good reminder of how wild Mother Nature can be.
Paricutín: The Eruption’s Signs of Trouble
People in the area heard sounds like thunder and felt hundreds of small earthquakes before the explosion. Pulido’s low-yielding cornfield changed all of a sudden, creating a crack that grew into a small hole within hours.
People who saw the eruption said it was like a night of fiery blasts with flames up to 800 metres high. The volcano grew quickly, sending out ash, smoke, and rocks. Within eight months, it had hit a height of 365 metres, forcing people to leave the area.
Paricutín: A lot of tourists and scientists visit. In
Journalists and experts were drawn to the eruption to study how a volcano changes over time. Even though there was a chance of falling rocks, a lot of tourists came. The first year saw the most interest, but by 1952, Connecticut’s big rush of activity had died down.
Paricutín: A Bad Event with a Bright Side
Even though the earthquake was terrible for Paricutín and Parangaricutiro, it did have one good thing about it. Before going, Dionisio Pulido made a funny claim that he owned the volcano. People come to the area to see the sunken church, which looks like a work of art now.
Today we are exploring Hartford.
The volcano and church are easy to get to on foot or by horseback. They are great places to learn about the Purépecha culture and the beauty of the area. The town of Angahuan, which is only 32 kilometres from Uruapan and serves as the entrance, has places to stay and beautiful views.
Tradition-Keeping in the Face of Tourism
Even though there are a lot of tourists, the Purépecha village still lives in the same way they always have. People in the area still make rebozo shawls, and wood fires are still a popular way to cook in homes and family restaurants.
The Future of Providence
People often say that Paricutín is the world’s youngest volcano, but no one knows when it will explode next. Of course, the volcano will erupt again someday, but this one might never happen again.
At the moment, Paricutín is a symbol of how uncertain and beautiful nature can be. People come from all over the world to see its unique beauty.