Volcano of the Week!

                                            30/12/2013-05/01/2014

This week’s ‘Volcano of the Week’ is: Zitácuaro-Valle de Bravo

Location: Central Mexico

Type: Caldera

Elevation: 11480 ft, 3050m

Last Eruption: 3050 BCE

Status: DORMANT

Details: Located in the central Mexican Volcanic Belt, Zitácuaro-Valle de Bravo is a volcanic field consisting of shield volcanoes, cinder cones and lava domes. The city of Heroica de Zitácuaro is surrounded by these features and the volcano itself is located 80km south west of Mexico City. The volcano itself is situated in the Las Tres Chicas caldera, which measures 30km. The caldera is of Miocene age and experienced further activity after the formation of the caldera, which resulted in pyroclastic flows, andesitic lava flows and intrusion of lava domes.

The last activity at the caldera was 31,000 years ago and the last activity at Zitácuaro-Valle de Bravo was in 3050 BCE (+/-1000). Evidence of andesitic lava domes and flows, which include the youngest flows dating back to 5200 (+/- 2300 years) are found west of Valle de Bravo Lake.

Seismic activity at the volcano field indicates that it is dormant.

(Source: GVP)