PARICUTIN

volcano, western Michoacn state, west-central Mexico, just north of the volcano Tanctaro Peak and 20 miles (32 km) west-northwest of Uruapan. It is one of the youngest volcanoes on Earth. On Feb. 20, 1943, it began to erupt in an open field. The fire, lava, and ashes destroyed and buried two villages and hundreds of homes. A partially buried church at the edge of the lava flows is a local tourist attraction. In the first year, the volcano's cone had risen 1,475 feet (450 m) from the base (at 7,480 feet above sea level) and had buried the village of Parcutin. Its peak reached an elevation of 9,210 feet (2,808 m) in 1952, when the eruption finally ended.