Los Chocoyos eruption
| Los Chocoyos eruption | |
|---|---|
Lake Atitlan as seen from orbit. | |
| Volcano | Volcán Atitlán |
| Date | 98 – 75 kya |
| Type | Ignimbrite-forming |
| Location | Guatemala |
| VEI | 8[1] |
| Impact | Climate disruption (disputed) |
The Los Chocoyos eruption was a supervolcanic eruption that occurred sometime between 98,000[2] and 75,000[3] years ago, with the younger estimate placing the age close to the Youngest Toba eruption.[4] The eruption consisted of approximately 1,220 cubic kilometres (290 mi3) of rhyolitic ash, with a dense-rock equivalent (DRE) of about 730 cubic kilometres (180 mi3).[2] The eruption is the largest known eruption in Central America[5] and the third, and most recent, caldera forming eruption at Atitlan, with two others known at around 11 mya and 8 mya.[6]
The eruption resulted in voluminous pyroclastic density currents, leaving deposits 6–10 metres (20–33 ft) thick in Chiapas, over 130 kilometres (81 mi) from the source.[4] Ash deposits were found over an area of 6,000,000 km2 (2,300,000 mi2).[7] It has been previously postulated that the eruption caused a millenial-scale volcanic winter, although new evidence suggests that is not the case.[5]
References
- ^ Cisneros de León, Alejandro; Schindlbeck-Belo, Julie C.; Kutterolf, Steffen; Danišík, Martin; Schmitt, Axel K.; Freundt, Armin; Pérez, Wendy; Harvey, Janet C.; Wang, Kuo-Lung; Lee, Hao-Yang (2021). "A history of violence: magma incubation, timing and tephra distribution of the Los Chocoyos supereruption (Atitlán Caldera, Guatemala)". Journal of Quaternary Science. 36 (2): 169–179. Bibcode:2021JQS....36..169C. doi:10.1002/jqs.3265. ISSN 1099-1417.
- ^ a b Baudry, Alec; Singer, Brad S.; Jicha, Brian; Jilly-Rehak, Christine E.; Vazquez, Jorge A.; Keller, C. Brenhin (2024-10-01). "A Bayesian age from dispersed plagioclase and zircon dates in the Los Chocoyos ash, Central America". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 643 118826. Bibcode:2024E&PSL.64318826B. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2024.118826. ISSN 0012-821X.
- ^ Cisneros de León, Alejandro; Schindlbeck-Belo, Julie C.; Kutterolf, Steffen; Danišík, Martin; Schmitt, Axel K.; Freundt, Armin; Pérez, Wendy; Harvey, Janet C.; Wang, Kuo-Lung; Lee, Hao-Yang (2021). "A history of violence: magma incubation, timing and tephra distribution of the Los Chocoyos supereruption (Atitlán Caldera, Guatemala)". Journal of Quaternary Science. 36 (2): 169–179. Bibcode:2021JQS....36..169C. doi:10.1002/jqs.3265. ISSN 1099-1417.
- ^ a b Cisneros de Leon, Alejandro; Christin Schindlbeck-Belo, Julie; Kutterolf, Steffen; Danišík, Martin; Schmitt, Axel Karl; Freundt, Armin; Pérez, Wendy; Harvey, Janet; Wang, Kuo-Lung; Lee, Hao-Yang (April 2021). "Timing and distribution of the Los Chocoyos supereruption from Atitlán caldera (Guatemala) by zircon 238U-230Th and (U-Th)/He double-dating". EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts: EGU21–16327. Bibcode:2021EGUGA..2316327C. doi:10.5194/egusphere-egu21-16327.
- ^ a b Innes, Helen M.; Hutchison, William; Sigl, Michael; Crick, Laura; Abbott, Peter M.; Bigler, Matthias; Chellman, Nathan J.; Davies, Siwan M.; Kutterolf, Steffen; McConnell, Joseph R.; Severi, Mirko; Sparks, R. Stephen J.; Svensson, Anders; Wolff, Eric W.; Rae, James W. B. (2025-02-22). "Ice core evidence for the Los Chocoyos supereruption disputes millennial-scale climate impact". Communications Earth & Environment. 6 (1): 137. Bibcode:2025ComEE...6..137I. doi:10.1038/s43247-025-02095-6. ISSN 2662-4435.
- ^ Newhall, Christopher G. (1987-08-01). "Geology of the Lake Atitlán Region, Western Guatemala". Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. 33 (1): 23–55. Bibcode:1987JVGR...33...23N. doi:10.1016/0377-0273(87)90053-9. ISSN 0377-0273.
- ^ Vallance, J. W.; Calvert, A. T. (December 2003). "Volcanism during the past 84 ka at Atitlan caldera, Guatemala". AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts. 2003: V32D–1050.