A 400-k.y. perspective on arc volcanism: An exceptional explosive eruption record from Central Mexico


Por: Hodgetts, AGE, Watt, SFL, Smith, VC, Sunyé-Puchol, I, Mastin, LG, Brown, ET, Valero-Garcés, B, Stockhecke, M, Ortega-Guerrero, B, Caballero, M, Lozano-García, S, Arce, JL, Werne, JP, Fawcett, PJ, Noren, AJ, Shannon, KB

Publicada: 1 nov 2025 Ahead of Print: 1 jul 2025
Resumen:
Volcanic eruption records provide key information for hazard planning but suffer from a time-dependent loss of resolution, hindering long-term evaluations of volcano behavior. Here, we investigate an exceptional sedimentary sequence from Lake Chalco, on the SE edge of Mexico City, which provides a perspective on volcanic activity over hundred-thousand-year time scales, and we develop a methodological and analytical protocol applicable to core datasets globally. The lava-dominated base of the sequence (similar to 105 m) is followed by similar to 155 m of lateral-collapse derived deposits and overlain by similar to 295 m of lacustrine sediments containing at least 450 visible tephra fall deposits (TFDs), spanning 400 k.y. These TFDs include 205 events sourced from large-magnitude (predominantly volcanic explosivity index [VEI] >= 5) silicic explosive eruptions, principally from regional polygenetic sources, and 205 deposits from the nearby Sierra Chichinautzin volcanic field (SCVF). A gradual decline in both frequency and apparent magnitude in the silicic eruption record is consistent with the gradual migration of volcanism south along the adjacent Sierra Nevada volcanic range, toward Popocat & eacute;petl. In contrast, the SCVF-derived deposits imply persistent but episodic activity, on time scales of 40-70 k.y., suggesting that the SCVF has been more continuously active than previously recognized. Decoupled trends between the SCVF and regional silicic sources implies that the total magmatic flux is not dictated at the arc scale, or by external (e.g., climatic) drivers, but instead reflects the independent development of individual volcanic systems. The records indicate a minimum long-term frequency of impactful eruptions on Mexico City to be one per 900 years (>1 cm tephra deposited) or 9000 years (>= 10 cm tephra).

Filiaciones:
Hodgetts, AGE:
 Univ Birmingham, Sch Geog Earth & Environm Sci, Birmingham B15 2TT, England

 Univ Edinburgh, Sch Geosci, Kings Bldg, Edinburgh EH9 3FE, Scotland

Watt, SFL:
 Univ Birmingham, Sch Geog Earth & Environm Sci, Birmingham B15 2TT, England

Smith, VC:
 Univ Oxford, Sch Archaeol, Res Lab Archaeol & Hist Art, Oxford OX1 3TG, England

Sunyé-Puchol, I:
 Univ Oxford, Sch Archaeol, Res Lab Archaeol & Hist Art, Oxford OX1 3TG, England

 Sapienza Univ Rome, Dept Earth Sci, Piazzale Le Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Rome, Italy

Mastin, LG:
 US Geol Survey, Cascades Volcano Observ, 1300 SE Cardinal Court,Bldg 10,Suite 100, Vancouver, WA USA

Brown, ET:
 Univ Minnesota Duluth, Large Lakes Observ, Duluth, MN 55812 USA

 Univ Minnesota Duluth, Dept Earth & Environm Sci, Duluth, MN 55812 USA

Valero-Garcés, B:
 Consejo Super Invest Cient IPE CSIC, Inst Pirena Ecol, Zaragoza 50059, Spain

Stockhecke, M:
 Univ Minnesota Duluth, Large Lakes Observ, Duluth, MN 55812 USA

 Univ Minnesota Duluth, Dept Earth & Environm Sci, Duluth, MN 55812 USA

Ortega-Guerrero, B:
 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Geofis, Ciudad Univ, Coyoacan 04510, Ciudad De Mexic, Mexico

Caballero, M:
 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Geofis, Ciudad Univ, Coyoacan 04510, Ciudad De Mexic, Mexico

Lozano-García, S:
 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Geol, Ciudad Univ, Coyoacan 04510, Ciudad De Mexic, Mexico

Arce, JL:
 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Geol, Ciudad Univ, Coyoacan 04510, Ciudad De Mexic, Mexico

Werne, JP:
 Univ Pittsburgh, Dept Geol & Environm Sci, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 USA

Fawcett, PJ:
 Univ New Mexico, Dept Earth & Planetary Sci, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA

Noren, AJ:
 Univ Minnesota, Continental Sci Drilling Facil, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA

Shannon, KB:
 Univ Minnesota, Continental Sci Drilling Facil, Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
ISSN: 00167606





GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA BULLETIN
Editorial
GEOLOGICAL SOC AMER, INC, PO BOX 9140, BOULDER, CO 80301-9140 USA, Estados Unidos America
Tipo de documento: Article
Volumen: 137 Número: 11-12
Páginas: 5353-5380
WOS Id: 001529056900001
imagen Green Submitted, Green Published

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