FVXX20 KWBC 121615 . VOLCANIC ASH ADVISORY STATEMENT ISSUED 1615 UTC 12 MAR 1999 BY THE WASHINGTON VAAC . POPOCATEPETL 99-022 MEXICO 19.02N 98.62W . BACKGROUND: POPOCATEPETL MEXICO (1401-09) SUMMIT HEIGHT 17930 FT (5465 M) . SOURCES OF INFORMATION: METEOROLOGICAL WATCH OFFICE IN MEXICO CITY...GOES-8 IMAGERY...POPO CAMERA . ERUPTION DETAILS: APPROXIMATELY 12/1552 UTC. . DETAILS OF ASH CLOUD: THE MEXICO CITY MWO HAS PHONED IN AN ERUPTION OF THE POPOCATEPETL VOLCANO. AN EXPLOSIVE ERUPTION OCCURRED AT 1552 UTC WITH ASH RISING TO FL300 AT THE TIME OF CALL. SATELLITE IMAGERY IS NOT YET AVAILABLE FOLLOWING THE ERUPTION BUT A CAMERA OBSERVING THE SUMMIT SUGGESTED A SHORT-LIVED EXPLOSION RESULTING IN A COLUMN OF ASH. ONLY STEAM WAS OBSERVED AT THE SUMMIT AT 1614 UTC. . TRAJECTORY: MEXICO CITY INDICATED A SLOW MOVEMENT TOWARD THE EAST. . THIS AND OTHER VOLCANIC ASH ADVISORY STATEMENTS OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY A MAP DEPICTING ASH LOCATION ARE AVAILABLE AT INTERNET URL ADDRESS www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/messages.html (all lower case except /VAAC/) . OUTLOOK: SEE SIGMETS. . THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED WITHIN THE HOUR. . PLEASE REFER TO SIGMETS FOR CURRENT WARNINGS. . NNNN