Petrologic and petrographic variation of youthful eruptive products in the Tuxtla Volcanic Field, Veracruz, Mexico

The Tuxtla Volcanic Field (TVF) is located near the Gulf of Mexico in the southern part of the state of Veracruz, Mexico. Volcanism in the region began around 7 Ma and has continued until recent times with the volcano San Martín Tuxtla’s latest eruptions in AD 1664 and 1793. The TVF rocks are mainly of alkaline composition and have been divided into two separate volcanic series, an older and younger. The TVF is a structural high located between the Veracruz Basin to the southwest and the Gulf of Mexico to the northeast, characterized by relatively thin crust with the depth to the Moho around 28 to 34 km. The TVF is unique because it is isolated from the nearest volcanic fields (the Mexican Volcanic Belt, Central American Volcanic Belt and the Eastern Alkaline Province) by at least 230km and because of the on-going debate over its magmatic origin. Many models have been proposed to explain the TVF’s alkaline nature in a unique location with most linking it either to the subduction of the Cocos plate to the west of Mexico and/or to extensional faulting in the region. The purpose of our study was to determine systematic changes in the youthful volcanic deposits across the TVF. Regional and local mapping was conducted and lava and scoria samples were collected from seven sites associated with two vent clusters in the TVF. Mapping of the easternmost cluster of deposits suggests chronological emplacement of the deposits through superposition and vent location and morphology. The petrography of lava and tephra deposits may further indicate magmatic origins and other factors influencing the development of the field, including chronology and possible mixing and/or differentiation. Previous published studies analyzed samples near the San Martin Tuxtla volcanic center. Their data is used as a comparative reference for these samples, most of which were collected from another, younger cluster east of Laguna Catemaco. From this study, a better understanding of past eruptive processes and potential future eruptions will lead to more detailed maps of local and regional volcanic hazards.