Months of relationship-building between Mexico City reporter María Verza and scientists at the National Autonomous University’s Geophysics Institute culminated in rare access: an AP team was invited to accompany researchers on an expedition to collect data from seismographs surrounding Mexico’s famed Popocatépetl volcano.
The scientists had recently developed a new three-dimensional map of the volcano’s interior, and the trip offered a dramatic opportunity to document their work and the volatile landscape up close.
Verza was joined by senior photographer Eduardo Verdugo, videojournalist Martín Silva Rey and designer Anika Arora Seth. The team ascended the volcano alongside scientists, capturing breathtaking views, behind-the-scenes scientific operations, and the high-altitude conditions in which the research takes place.
The result was a visually rich, interactive digital project — exclusive to AP — that combined environmental science, cutting-edge visualization and intimate field reporting. The package showed not only the beauty and danger of “El Popo,” but also the human effort behind understanding one of Mexico’s most closely watched natural threats.
Submission Links
https://apnews.com/projects/mexico-volcano-el-popo/en/
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