The geological history of Popocatépetl began with the formation of the ancestral volcano Nexpayantla . About 200,000 years ago , Nexpayantla collapsed in an eruption , leaving a caldera , in which the next volcano , known as El Fraile , began to form . Another eruption about 50,000 years ago caused that to collapse , and Popocatépetl rose from that . Around 23,000 years ago , a lateral eruption ( believed to be larger than the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens ) destroyed the volcano 's ancient cone and created an avalanche that reached up to from the summit . The debris field from that is one of four around the volcano , and it is also the youngest
1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens
1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens
Popocatépetl