Active Volcanoes of Chiapas (Mexico): El Chichón and Tacaná PDF
Preview Active Volcanoes of Chiapas (Mexico): El Chichón and Tacaná
Active Volcanoes of the World Teresa Scolamacchia José Luis Macías Editors Active Volcanoes of Chiapas (Mexico): El Chichón and Tacaná Active Volcanoes of the World Series editors Corrado Cimarelli, München, Germany Sebastian Müller, Mainz, Germany For further volumes: http://www.springer.com/series/10081 Teresa Scolamacchia (cid:129) José Luis Macías Editors Active Volcanoes of Chiapas (Mexico): El Chichón and Tacaná 123 Editors Teresa Scolamacchia JoséLuisMacías Earth and EnvironmentalSciences Institutode Geofísica Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität UniversidadNacionalAutónomadeMéxico München (UNAM) Germany Morelia Mexico ISSN 2195-3589 ISSN 2195-7029 (electronic) Active Volcanoesof theWorld ISBN 978-3-642-25889-3 ISBN978-3-642-25890-9 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-25890-9 LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2014960137 SpringerHeidelbergNewYorkDordrechtLondon ©Springer-VerlagBerlinHeidelberg2015 Thisworkissubjecttocopyright.AllrightsarereservedbythePublisher,whetherthewholeorpartof thematerialisconcerned,specificallytherightsoftranslation,reprinting,reuseofillustrations,recitation, broadcasting,reproductiononmicrofilmsorinanyotherphysicalway,andtransmissionorinformation storageandretrieval,electronicadaptation,computersoftware,orbysimilarordissimilarmethodology nowknownorhereafterdeveloped. Theuseofgeneraldescriptivenames,registerednames,trademarks,servicemarks,etc.inthispublication doesnotimply,evenintheabsenceofaspecificstatement,thatsuchnamesareexemptfromtherelevant protectivelawsandregulationsandthereforefreeforgeneraluse. Thepublisher,theauthorsandtheeditorsaresafetoassumethattheadviceandinformationinthisbook arebelievedtobetrueandaccurateatthedateofpublication.Neitherthepublishernortheauthorsorthe editorsgiveawarranty,expressorimplied,withrespecttothematerialcontainedhereinorforanyerrors oromissionsthatmayhavebeenmade. Printedonacid-freepaper Springer-VerlagGmbHBerlinHeidelbergispartofSpringerScience+BusinessMedia (www.springer.com) Foreword El Chichón and Tacaná are both within the limits of the mountainous State of Chiapas in southeastern Mexico and are the only presently active volcanoes in that region. While El Chichón is the youngest of the Quaternary volcanoes forming the Chiapanecan Volcanic Arc, Tacaná is at the border with Guatemala where it is the northernmostactivevolcanooftheCentralAmericaVolcanicArc.Theoriginofboth volcanoeshasbeentraditionallyrelatedtothesubductionoftheoceanicCocosPlate underneath a complex framework of continental plates. Chichónvolcano,coveredbyjungleinaremoteregionwasalmostunknownuntil it erupted cataclysmically inMarch–April 1982 and produced the deadliest volcanic disaster in Mexico’s modern history. It was estimated that the eruption caused approximately 2,000 fatalities. Several villages and hamlets were destroyed beyond recognitionbypyroclasticflowsandpumiceousashfalloutandhundredsofsurvivors (mostly poor farmers) required urgent help. Many families were relocated to other areas in Mexico or migrated on their own. A few years later, in September 1985, a largemagnitudesubduction-relatedearthquakewithanepicenteroffthePacificshore ofMichoacán shookcentralMexico andcaused great damage,especially inMexico City.Hundredsofbuildingscollapsedburyingthousandsofpeopleundertherubble. As a result of these tragedies, the awareness of the possible occurrence of future volcanic and seismic disasters on Mexican territory rose dramatically. In both emergencies,theMexicanArmyhadbeenorderedtotakecontrolofthesituationbut obviously this simplistic approach was not sufficient and created problems on a political level that had long-lasting effects that had to be dealt with. Public officials, earth scientists, and other professionals that were together with the Army directly involvedintheassessmentandmanagementofthesedisastersrecognizedtheurgent need to take more differentiated measures that would mitigate the complexities derived from such types of catastrophes in the future. These efforts crystallized the implementation of a Civil Protection System (coordinated by the federal govern- ment), the creation of the Centro Nacional de Prevención de Desastres (CENAPRED), the reform and improvement of existing construction codes, and the strengtheningoftopic-relatedcurriculaineducationalinstitutions(tonamejustafew among other steps). Although this large endeavor was mostly undertaken and supported by Mexican institutions, technical personnel and financial aid also came from outside of the country (e.g., Japanese International Cooperation Agency, US Geological Survey, etc.). v vi Foreword In the above context, the Instituto de Geofísica at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma deMéxico(UNAM)hasalsoplayedanimportantrole:Newfacultystaff devotedtoseismologyandvolcanologyhavebeenhiredsystematicallyoverthepast decades; the national seismic network (Servicio Sismológico Nacional) has been modernizedandexpandedgreatly,othertypesofgeophysicalinstrumentshavebeen deployed, chemical and sedimentological laboratories have been developed, etc. Furthermore,numerousresearchprojectsfocusingondifferentvolcanoesalloverthe country have been carried out, frequently in conjunction with scientists from other nationalandforeigninstitutions.Althoughnumerousscientistshavebeeninvolvedin carrying out more systematicstudies at Mexican volcanoes in the recent past, in the particularcaseofthevolcanoesofChiapas,thepersonalengagement,endurance,and devotion of my colleagues José Luis Macías (volcanic geology) and Iouri Taran (geochemistry of hydrothermal fluids) have been outstanding and crucial to better understand these volcanoes. Over the past two decades they have guided numerous students (e.g., T. Scolamacchia, L. Capra, J.L. Arce, D. Rouwet, L. Peiffer, all authorsorco-authorsofdifferentchapters)onexpeditionstotheseremotevolcanoes and supervised their respective degree-theses on specific subjects in a certainly difficult terrain. As a result, our knowledge on the subject and the number of pub- licationsinspecializedjournalshasincreasednotablyandthepresentbookcomesas a natural consequence of all these efforts (not surprisingly, T. Scolamacchia, co- editorofthisbookisalsoaformerstudentofJ.L.Macías).Furthermore,thegeologic studies have culminated in the publication of an updated hazards map that was officially presented to the Governor of Chiapas several months ago. Such a tool is indispensable for adequate land-use planning and for development of future emer- gency plans. Its final publication occurred more than timely, since fumarolic and hydrothermal activity at Chichón’s crater has increased and shown noticeable changes in recent months (Iouri Taran, personal communication). Whether these changesshouldbeenvisagedaspremonitoryphenomenatoanimpendingeruptionis not yet clear and requires urgent further investigation. Although the currently existing monitoring program certainly still requires a serious upgrade, and public awarenessalso needs torise(especially inthepresentcontext),it canobjectivelybe saidthat,today,theStateofChiapasisinabetterpositiontofacethenegativeeffects ofafutureeruption.Whethertheeffortsbrieflydelineatedabovewillsufficetoavoid future fatalities is of course uncertain. In any event, the present book represents a milestone in regard to volcanological studies in Chiapas and will serve as a starting point for any scholar interested in pursuing future research. The first part of the book provides a summary of the geodynamic setting and general tectonic framework of the region (Garduño et al.), as well as the petrology andgeochemistryofproductseruptedfromElChichónandTacanávolcanoes(Arce et al.). The second part is devoted to Chichón’s eruptive history (Scolamacchia and Capra), its hydrothermal system (Peiffer et al), and the analysis of seismic data (Legrand et al.), while the third part focuses on Tacaná’s eruptive history (Macías et al.) and hydrothermal system (Rouwet et al.). The fourth part addresses the risk assessment and mitigation (De la Cruz and Tilling), and an outlook into the future (Espíndola).Ofthese,thechapter,writtenbyServandodelaCruzandRobertTilling (both true pioneers of Chichón studies and witnesses of the 1982 calamity), is noteworthybecauseitprovides,30yearsinretrospect,somethoughtsinregardtothe possible causes of the 1982 disaster and presents a list of lessons learned providing valuable suggestions for the future. Foreword vii The natural beauty of these volcanoes also deserves mention. In this context, a plan to submit a proposal to designate El Chichón as a“ Geopark Site” under the umbrellaofUNESCO’snaturalheritageprogramiscurrentlybeingdeveloped(Silvia Ramos,personalcommunication).Suchastepmightservemultiplepurposesbesides preserving the environment (which certainly is an important task). In addition, the victims of the 1982 eruption could be honored in no better way than by preventing further repopulation ofhazardousareas, while atthe same time helping toprovide a sustainable living for the nearby populace by attracting more tourists. Finally, although principally aimed at reaching the volcanological specialist, the present book might of course also serve as a valuable source of information to the curiouslayman.Interestedtouristswantingtotravelbeyondthebeatenpathsleading to famous Maya temples might be able to better understand the gorgeous volcanic landscape and its hidden history after reading this book. Agua Blanca, Michoacán, January 2014 Claus Siebe Research Volcanologist and Professor Instituto de Geofísica Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Ciudad Universitaria Coyoacán, México, D.F. Mexico Acknowledgments Wewouldliketothankalltheauthorsofthechaptersofthisbook,whospentseveral months walking, sampling, and camping around these beautiful volcanoes en Chi- apas, and later analyzing and interpreting the data presented here. Some of them witnessedthecatastrophiceruptionofElChichónin1982,andmanagedthecrisisin 1985–1986 at Tacaná. Thanks for sharing your experience with the general public. Wearedeeplygratefultoallscientists,whospenttheiralreadybusytimetoprovide us with timely reviews, and fruitful comments, to the drafts of all chapters: Jenny Barclay (University of East Anglia, UK), Richard J. Brown (Durham University, UK), Jon Blundy (University of Bristol, UK), Marco Calo (Berkeley SeismologicalLaboratory,USA),WilliamsEvans(USGeologicalSurvey),ElisaFitz Diaz (UNAM, Mexico), Simon Hughes (Terra Dat, UK), Ulrich Kueppers (Ludwig Maximilian University, Germany), Christina Neal (Volcano Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey), Karoly Németh (Massey University, New Zeland), Chris Newhall (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore), Takeshi Ohba (Tokai University,Japan),PeterSchaaf(UNAM,Mexico),WendyStovall(VolcanoScience Center, U.S. Geological Survey), Roberto Sulpizio (Universitá degli Studi di Bari, Italy), Franco Tassi (Universitá degli Studi di Firenze, Italy), Frank Tepley III (OregonStateUniversity,USA),RobertI.Tilling(USGeologicalSurvey-Emeritus), Johan Varekamp (Wesleyan University, USA), Sebastian Wiesmaier (Ludwig Maximilians University, Germany). The research summarized in several chapters of this book has been funded by Dirección General de Asuntos del Personal Académico de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (DGAPA-UNAM) to Servando De la Cruz Reyna (#IN106312), Yuri Tarán (#IN10913), Denis Legrand (IACOD programs #IA100911, and #IB101112), José Luis Macías (DGAPA, #IN1142063), José Luis Arce (# IN1032053). The Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACyT) providedfundingtoJoséLuisMacías(#47226).TeresaScolamacchiawasfundedby aDeutscheForschunggemeinschaft(DFG)fellowship(SC-152/2-1).DmitriRouwet, Loic Peiffer, and Yuri Taran were supported by fundingofVUELCO for theperiod May 2012–2014 (EC FP 7, #282759). ix x Acknowledgments SpecialthanksgotoFelixSánchezandhisfamilywhohelpedseveralofusduring fieldwork at El Chichón, Dr. Silva Ramos H., Director of the Centro de Monitoreo SísmicoyVolcánico(CMVS)ofChiapas,forhersustainedencouragement,support, and hospitality over the decades, and Guillermo Cisneros who prepared several figures of this book. We hope that the information contained in this book will inspire further research to understand the behavior of these volcanoes, and similar ones around the world. Teresa Scolamacchia José Luis Macías Contents 1 Geodynamic Setting and Pre-volcanic Geology of Active Volcanism in Chiapas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 V.H. Garduño-Monroy, J.L. Macias and R.S. Molina Garza 2 Petrology and Geochemistry of El Chichón and Tacaná: Two Active, yet Contrasting Mexican Volcanoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 José Luis Arce, James Walker and John Duncan Keppie 3 El Chichón Volcano: Eruptive History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Teresa Scolamacchia and Lucia Capra 4 Fluid Geochemistry of El Chichón Volcano-Hydrothermal System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Loïc Peiffer, Dmitri Rouwet and Yuri Taran 5 Comparison of the Seismicity Before and After the 1982 El Chichon Eruption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 D. Legrand, J.M. Espíndola, Z. Jiménez, T. Scolamacchia, C. Valdés-González, S.K. Singh, J. Lermo, Z. Spica and R.W. Valenzuela 6 Eruptive History of the Tacaná Volcanic Complex. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 J.L. Macías, J.L. Arce, P.W. Layer, R. Saucedo and J.C. Mora 7 Fluid Geochemistry of Tacaná Volcano-Hydrothermal System . . . . . 139 Dmitri Rouwet, Yuri Taran and Salvatore Inguaggiato 8 Risk Management of El Chichón and Tacaná Volcanoes: Lessons Learned from Past Volcanic Crises. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Servando De la Cruz-Reyna and Robert I. Tilling 9 Outlook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 Juan Manuel Espindola Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 xi
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