The similar to AD 500-700 (Late Classic) El Astillero and El Pedregal volcanoes (Michoacan, Mexico): a new monogenetic cluster in the making?


Por: Larrea, Patricia, Siebe, Claus, Juarez-Arriaga, Erick, Salinas, Sergio, Ibarra, Hector, Bohnel, Harald

Publicada: 1 oct 2019
Categoría: Geochemistry and petrology

Resumen:
The recent identification of Holocene volcanic clusters in small areas within the Michoacan Guanajuato Volcanic Field (MGVF) opens several questions regarding future volcanic hazard assessments in this region. Documenting vent alignments and eruption recurrence intervals within clusters will provide parameters necessary for making temporal and spatial hazard evaluations. Here, we present a possible new case of a small cluster consisting of only two monogenetic volcanoes, El Astillero and El Pedregal located in the similar to 4400-km(2) Tancitaro-Nueva Italia region in the southwestern part of the MGVF, only 25 km to the south of Paricutin volcano. We determined from paleomagnetic and radiocarbon dating that El Astillero and El Pedregal most likely erupted one after the other between AD 500 and 700 (within the Late Classic period of Mesoamerican archeology). While the eruptions were likely separated by a short period of time, the exact length is difficult to ascertain. After the similar to 6 years of total estimated eruption duration of the two volcanoes, both together occupied an area of 14.7 km(2) and emitted a dense rock equivalent (DRE) volume of magma of similar to 0.5 km(3). Notable characteristics of the eruptions include a switch from the explosive activity exclusive of El Astillero (Strombolian) to effusive activity early after the initiation of the El Astillero eruption, a shift in the active vents, and a progressive change in the bulk magma composition from basaltic andesite to andesite throughout the duration of the eruption. This activity first formed the El Astillero scoria cone and tephra deposits followed by its lava field and ended with the emplacement of the El Pedregal viscous lavas. The discovery of pre-Hispanic pottery sherds and obsidian artifacts underneath the El Astillero tephra fallout unambiguously attests to human activities in the area before the eruption. Judging by their eruptive style, the eruptions probably had a limited impact on the small area affected and the surrounding human activities, but the hazard for this area remains since El Astillero and El Pedregal could represent the initial stages of a new cluster that is still in the making. If so, another eruption should be expected in this area again.

Filiaciones:
Larrea, Patricia:
 Univ Chile, Fac Ciencias Fis & Matemat, Dept Geol, Plaza Ercilla 803, Santiago, Chile

 Univ Chile, Fac Ciencias Fis & Matemat, Andean Geothermal Ctr Excellence CEGA, Plaza Ercilla 803, Santiago, Chile

 Miami Univ, Dept Geol & Environm Earth Sci, 118 Shideler Hall, Oxford, OH 45056 USA

 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Geofis, Dept Vulcanol, Ciudad Univ, Ciudad De Mexico 04510, Mexico

Siebe, Claus:
 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Geofis, Dept Vulcanol, Ciudad Univ, Ciudad De Mexico 04510, Mexico

Juarez-Arriaga, Erick:
 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Ctr Geociencias, Blvd Juriquilla 3001, Queretaro 76230, Mexico

Salinas, Sergio:
 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Fac Ingn, Div Ingn Ciencias Tierra, Ciudad Univ, Ciudad De Mexico 04510, Mexico

Ibarra, Hector:
 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Ctr Geociencias, Blvd Juriquilla 3001, Queretaro 76230, Mexico

Bohnel, Harald:
 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Ctr Geociencias, Blvd Juriquilla 3001, Queretaro 76230, Mexico
ISSN: 02588900
Editorial
Springer-Verlag, 233 SPRING STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA, Estados Unidos America
Tipo de documento: Article
Volumen: 81 Número: 10
Páginas:
WOS Id: 000485877600002

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