Spatio-temporal evolution of the Tuxtla Volcanic Field

Mapping of the Tuxtla Volcanic Field (TVF), located in Veracruz, Mexico, through the use of digital elevation models, aerial photography, and field confirmation has found 353 distinct cones, 4 large composite volcanoes, and 42 maars. Eruptive activity in the TVF began in the late Miocene, underwent a quiescent period approximately 2.6-0.8 Ma, and continues into historic times with the most recent eruption occurring at San Martín Tuxtla volcano in 1793. The covariance of the minimum cone separation in the TVF indicates that, despite the influence of clear vent alignments following regional faulting trends, the field as a whole is anticlustered. Dividing the cones by morphometric age shows that while the older cones have an anti-clustered distribution, the younger cones (<50 Ka) are clustered. The younger cones display a stronger spatial association with the Anegada fault than their predecessors, are more likely to form in aligned groups of similarly-sized cones, and are clustered in two areas: the area immediately surrounding San Martín Tuxtla and an area approximately 3 km east of Laguna Catemaco. These areas of concentrated volcanism roughly correspond to the locations of two gravity anomalies previously identified in the area. While the average height/width ratio is equal between the two clusters, the cones in the eastern group are significantly smaller than their counterparts in the western group. The maars of the TVF are mostly located within the younger volcanic series, west of Laguna Catemaco, and have an anticlustered distribution; many of the maars are evenly spaced along curved lines, where they are weakly grouped according to crater diameter. Results indicate volcanism TVF has undergone continued spatial restriction over time, concentrating in the western half of the TVF with the onset of the eruption of the younger volcanic series 0.8 Ma and further contracting along the principle fault system within the last 50 Ka.