Professional Documents
Culture Documents
31295000462068
31295000462068
ON AN ACTIVE CONTINENTAL
MALRGIN
by
RICHARD K. VESSELL, B.S., M.A.
A DISSERTATION
IN
GEOSCIENCES
Submitted to the Graduate Faculty
of Texas Tech University in
Partial Fulfillment of
the Requirements for
the Degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
Annroved
December, 1979
\n^'''0
TABLE OF CONTENTS
/^^. .^-
page
LIST OF TABLES
IV
LIST OF FIGURES
INTRODUCTION
GEOLOGIC SETTING
PART I:
. . . . . . .
10
....
Airfall Ash
10
10
15
20
20
25
29
General Statement
29
Debris Flows
50
General Statement
30
30
32
38
43
General Statement
43
43
Flood Dynamics
^5
Flood Deposits
50
ii
Fluvial Sedimentoloc^y
56
General Statement
56
Morphology
60
Stream Hydrology
62
65
Fluvial Deposits
"^1
80
94
CONCLUSIONS
9"
PART II:
HOLOCENE SEDIMENTATION
101
General Statement
101
108
110
PLEISTOCENE SEQUENCES
HI
116
General Statement
116
124
REFERENCES
126
111
LIST OF TABLES
Table
1
Page
Volume of glowing avalanche debris
deposited by the 1971 to 1974
eruption cluster
22
33
46
49
61
68
89
96
8
9
10
102
121
IV
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure
Page
"O
5
6
7
8
10
11
12
13
14
15
15
i^
18
19
21
14
24
26
31
35
36
3-
20
40
21
41
44
48
51
52
53
54
5"
58
15
16
17
18
19
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
VI
Channels
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
59
63
64
66
67
:'2
73
"5
:"6
7"
78
^9
S2
VI1
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
83
Phase
cluster
results
streams
85
86
88
91
92
95
lO-i
^^5
Vlll
52
53
10"
115
118
119
122
54
55
56
57
IX
INTRODUCTION
Voleanism along the active Guatemalan continental
margin is characterized by the explosive eruption of
intermediate magmas.
More
The emphasis
Figure 1.
u
+->
I
u
03
03
1I
4->
CO
o
u
I
CO
c
'J
'J
i-iI
U
CO
OO
':::
>
>
N
i::: f
>
i>
'
>
>.
>.-.:
>
.>. '
'J
>
>
>
\
>
>
>
>
ZJ)
>N
J)
^1
1 ^
I
I
!
1' i
6
Erosion and transport of materials from the arc
have resulted in the deposition of voleanielastic
sediments on the lower slopes of the cones and within a
90 km wide fore-are basin.
MIDDLE
I
AMERICA
TRENCH
il
40
I
r
80-1
SCALE
=^ 40miles
S:i2o
O
[
160-1
[
lOO
Figure 4
.-y
LO
=/3
^^
events occurring on 14-15 September, 1971, 22 February 3 March, 1973, and 10 October - 4 December, 1974. Each
event was characterized by a vulcanian pillar " - 10 km
high, accompanied by the emission of glowing avalanches
of varying size and intensity (Fig. 6).
Airfall ash from the three eruptions formed a
composite, lobate blanket west-south-west of the cone with
8 3
a total volume of approximately 3.7 x 10 m , ninety
percent of which was generated by the 1974 event.
Repeated
These flows
11
Figure
of ash.
The 1 em isopach
^^
The coarsest,
14
Figure
15
lOQQO
h
r
r
1000!
?><
IQO
\
10
I I
0.1
Q.O!
THICKNESS m
Figure 8.
16
50
(T
LU
^0'
30^
20.
CO
C/)
LLJ
:s:
o
lOH
1^
20
30
OiSTANCc
Figure 9.
40
50
60
7 "^V
30
(KILOMETERS)
17
=HI MM,
5.Ci
j.ri-
Z
<
c
<
2.0-
1.0I*.
2C
4C
5C
DISTANCE
F i g u r e 10,
ow
::ir
iCC
IC
.KILCME^ErS)
18
PHI
2.0-
o
2
h(T
O 10
0.5.
"io
VENT
Figure 1 1 .
20
30
40
50
DISTANCE
60
70
80
io"
'KILOMETE.^S;
100
110
19
-;:. i ^
00
CO
CO
^ 0-
:iJ ;
u:sl
CO
-1-
'
10
20
30
40
VENT
Figure 12.
'
-1
50
DISTANCE
60
70
80
90
100
110
(KILOMETERS)
Skewness of a i r f a l l f . ^ . ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ f g - f ' e r u p t i o n
r e s p e c t to downwind d i s t a n c e , i^ ^ ciupux
'
20
draped over existing topographic features.
Deposits
Repeated
Flows travelled
21
Figure 13.
T o "U,
a^^
1.
GLOWT.\-G AVALANCHES
(1971 - 19-4)
i^epos It
Volume !"m"
La Seca
3.9 X 10
Taniluya
1.3 X 1 0 ^
Ceniza
1.8 X 10''
Trinidad
0.4 X 10'
Las Canas
0.2 X 1 0 ^
El Jute
3.3 X 10'
Las
1.3 X 10
Lajas
Honda
0.6 X 10'
O.i
Total
10'
3 X
..^
C'--
23
1) Open fan deposits -- Two open fan deposits are
recognizable in the study area, and they differ widely
in size.
24
Figure 14.
25
The
26
Figure 15.
Depending
No signifi-
occurs downflow.
No
28
fragments as well as discrete olivine, pyroxene, and
feldspar crystals.
Grains in the range 2 mm - 0.125 mm consist
dominantly of feldspar rock fragments ranging from 83
percent in the coarse material to 57 percent in the fine.
Feldspar crystals vary from 5 percent to 22 percent over
the same grain size range.
Within a given
29
Sedimentation Resulting From the Remobilization of Ejecta
General Statement
The 1971 to 1974 eruption cluster deposited more
ejecta onto the volcanic slopes than any event since
1932.
Once
initiated, debris flow and flash flood processes transported immense quantities of eruption materials downslope
producing sedimentation events far in excess of any
similar flows in recent times.
debris flows and floods sporadically eroded and transported 10 to 61 percent of the glowing avalanche debris
from any one area, and formed fan deposits south and
southwest of the cone.
Continued reworking by fluvial processes resulted
in the introduction of large quantities of coarse debris
into stream systems.
30
31
.1'
3 km
SCALE
Figure 16.
-i
.^2
in longitudinal profile, and thin away from source. They
rest on stable slopes of 2 to 3 degrees, 5 to 10 km from
the termini of glowing avalanche deposits.
The average
m"^ of material. A
of debris.
wide.
10
J J)
Table
2.
DEBRIS FLOWS
Taniluya
Ceniza
(19:^3)
7.3 x 10
(19-6)
3.3 X 1(
(1975)
3.3 X 10
(1976)
Achiguate
Total
(19 73)
,.0
i. J
3.3 X 10
2.2 X 10'
34
vegetative cover, and vast quantities of unconsolidated
fine grained debris on the upper volcanic flanks combine
to promote the development of debris flows.
Deposition
Once a geomorphie
Deposition of debris
A similar storm
35
RIO GUACALATE
r.VuEGo'J / ( \ ^ .
AGUA\
\
\
-2,
RIO ACHIGUATE
SAN ,
Fiaure 17.
Figure
F I C
\^
O C E A N
of the
Isohyete map ot
tne distribution
aisrriDuc^uu of
u.
7^ rianfall in southern Guatemala
36
100
40
/ ^
20
^-^
^^
.--'
I6
^
= 4
<
^
10
elO
MiN
)
HRS
OURATiON
Figure 18.
12
24
37
9/20/^0 (15^00)
95.3 mm/hr.
5/23/70 (I7-00)
117.0 mm/hr.
NTENSE STORMS
10/12/71 (15=30)
150.6 mm/hr.
50
100
OURATION
Figure 19.
SA8ANA GRANDE
GUATEMALA
150
(MIN.)
38
southern volcanic flanks over a period of 100 minutes.
This storm was extremely localized as meteorogical
stations at Escuinta (13 km SE) and Amatitlan (25 km
east) received only 36.0 and 6.5 mm of precipitation
for the entire day (Anon., 1975).
Introduction of such vast quantities of water
into glowing avalanche sediments results in failure and
flowage of the debris.
39
Deposits consist of matrix supported units of boulders,
cobbles, and grains.
These
Debris flow
40
Figure 20.
>
41
Figure 21
42
to occur downflow.
Debris flow deposits consist of spherical grains
with an average value of 0.69.
Approximately 50 percent
'^^
General Statement
The southern flank of Fuego is an area characterized
by flash flooding resulting from short duration, high
intensity storms.
These floods
These deposits
A large flood
of debris. A
44
V. de Fuego
29 Km
3 km
SCALE
=3
45
The two flood cones have a total volume of 1.8 x
7 3
10 m (Table 3). This represents 3 percent of the total
volume of ejecta and 10 percent of the total glowing
avalanche volume.
flooding is announced by a small increase in stage followed within minutes by a bore 1 to 3 meters in height,
consisting of a turbulent mass of cobbles, boulders, and
sand.
The
46
bie 3.
FLOODS
VniMn.^ '.1'^3
Volume
1"
Deoosit
Pantaleon
(1972)
1.2 X 10'
Achiguate
(19^2)
G.6 X 10
Total
1.3 X 10'
47
the crashing of boulders in transport.
may occur.
Local scouring
Movement
Flow is
supercritical.
Intermediate flow occurs within the trunk drainages.
Flooding may cover 300 m valley floors.
range from 1 m to 5 m .
Flow depths
48
100 _
y^m
OS
.00
50
Mi^
CO
20 y
t:
1
#
10
1
t
z*
1 1 1 1
10
20
DRAINAGE
Figure 23.
1111
50
100
AREA (Mi^)
J. 0
Table 4.
= Froude number
FLOOD CF.ARACTSRISTICS
DATE
9-24-71
10-17-72
6-26-73
8-24-75
5-19-76
6-13-76
7-1^-^6
--
~)
-I
7-13-77
BASIN
DURATION
(km'^)
(min)
109
109
109
13
96
96
10
43
109
120
30
120
50
15
120
Qmax
'3,
(m /sec)
590
525
495
150
2200
330
230
-00
1-0
Dmax
'7:nax
TC
(m)
(m/sec)
(nun)
1.05
1.00
3.35
3.50
2.50
5.05
1.10
^,
4.35
5.00
6. 65
6.10
6.20
6.00
1500
2:'50
1130
3100
-150
1150
1.36
l.oO
1.31.11.23
0.38
1.83
50
As the flood emerges from confining canyons, flow
width increases, depth, velocity and shear stress rapidly
decrease resulting in the deposition of broad flood
fans on the coastal plain.
Intermediate and
51
200
#
siOO
i
'
10
20
30
D I S T A N C E (km)
F i g u r e 24.
40
52
300
^
100
c^
50
10
10
20
30
DISTANCE(kni)
F i g u r e 25
40
^3 J
5-
3-
CO
1-
10
30
DISTANCE (km)
Figure 26.
54
50
t
I
in
3 0 --
[-%
1010
30
DISTANCE (km)
Figure ^7
to
55
56
Fluvial Sedimentology
General Statement
Fuego volcano is drained by two major fluvial
systems (Fig. 5). To the west of the crater, the Rio
Pantaleon forms from three streams heading in deep
canyons on the upper volcanic slopes.
South of the
Flow is intermittent
In each
Figure 28
58
Figure
29.
l^l'SlrZim^
''^^'-
^^-nels
59
Figure 30.
u .
60
Morphology
In upper, terraced stream reaches the active river
floodplain is 70 to 350 m wide and consists of scattered
boulders, cobbles, and coarse sand deposited by flash
flood flows.
61
Table 5
FLUVIAL CHANNEL CHARACTERISTICS
Pre-Eruption
Post-Eruption
Location
Sinuousity
Braid Index
Proximal
1.22
0.4
Distal
1.68
0.0
Proximal
1.04
2.1
Distal
1.07
0.8
62
were
By Schumm's (1968)
63
Figure 31.
64
CNJ
LO
^2.0
L5
LO
25
50
75
100
DISTANCE (km)
F i g u r e 32.
65
0.6 m at the coast.
1.25 m/see to 2.0 m/sec in response to increasing discharge then decreases near the coast as channel area
increases.
The bed configurations of studied flows were
determined from calculations of Froude number and
relative roughness.
This
Plane bed
in stream transport has its source in the loose, unconsolidated canyon glowing avalanche deposits resulting
from the 1971-1974 eruptions of Fuego.
Table 6 displays
66
2LLI
CQ
ANTIOUNES
1Q
3
O
oo
Oo
FLAT
0,5
RIPPLES
0,2
-IIrr-r-
10
igure 33.
2
5
10
RELATIVE ROUGHNESS
2
(d/djo)
67
RIO GUACALATE
v . AGUA
10 Km
SCALE
9
RIO-*"^/
PANTALEON*
RIO COYOLATE
- PANTALEON
3IPICATE
C I F I C
Figure 34.
O C E A N
Table 6.
Denudation rates zo
T ' 1 "f^ '^
the 19^1-19^4 a ruTDtion
3.
cluster
DEPOSIT
VOLUME 0? TEPHRA
IN DEPOSIT (m^)
MEASURED ANNUAL
EROSION RATE (m^)
TIME TO
ERODE
2.1 X 10"
-40 -r
i.9
-2^ vr
0.3 X 10
Honda, Agua,
Las Lajas
2.4 X 10
El Jute
3.5 X 10'
Noc Measured
Trinidad
1.8 X 10'
Not: Measurea
Ceniza
1.3 X 10'
lani^uya Seca
5." X 10
X 10"
^20 v:
9.2 X 10"
-60 rr
69
The Rios Guaealate and Ceniza supply the vast bulk
of sediment transported by the Rio Achiguate system.
Flood surges from the El Jute Canyon, contribute large
volumes of sediment to the system, though these surges
have not been gauged.
Results from stream gauge measurements on one stream,
the Rio Guaealate, indicate that approximately 330,000
metric tons of material are eroded annually from loosely
consolidated Tertiary and Pleistocene tephra in the Rio
Guaealate basin to the north of the cone.
Some 465,000
Approximately
Stream
70
A total of 4,040,000 metric tons of material are
thus eroded annually from the cone by the Achiguate
system.
Some 690,000
'1
decrease exponentially with time.
Sediments consist of
Sediments consist
These
Figure 35
Figure 36.
Note
Intermediate stream deposit
improvement in sorting and decrease in
grain size.
75
400
GLOWING AVALANCHES
X LAHARS
RIVERS
300-
S
UJ
<
IT
100-
/^
25
F i g u r e 37.
,
^ f J i ,
.
50
( km)
DISTANCE
75
t a
100
"6
A GLOWING AVALANCHES
X LAHARS
RIVERS
5-
4CO
z
^
3-1
IT
(fi
2^
25
Fiaure 38.
^
-r-
I I
50
DISTANCE
75
100
( km )
77
0.6T-
^
en
<n
I
0.3^
I GLOWING AVALANCHES |
i
!
' X LAHARS
i
!
RIVERS
UJ
0^
tn
0.3i
-0.6 0
25
50
DISTANCE
75
100
( km )
78
0.3^
CO
(n
Ui
z
a
z
0.6-
0.4
o
IT
A GLOWING AVALANCHES
0.2-
X LAHARS
0^
Figure 40.
25
50
DI STA N C E
RIVERS
75
(km )
100
I.O
6
as
0.6
I
0.4
a.
A GLOWING AVALANCHES
02
X LAHARS
I
I
25
Figure 41.
50
DISTANCE
RIVERS
75
i
100
(km
80
SEDIMENTATION RESPONSE TO ERUPTIONS
Activity at Fuego volcano over the last 40 years
has consisted of 23 eruptions of widely differing
magnitude.
Response to the
Although glowing
Examination of
81
Studies of the eruptions of 1971, 1973, and 19"4
indicates that sedimentation proceeds in four distinct
phases (Table 7).
Phase 1
This phase is characterized by the deposition of
thick airfall ash and glowing avalanches on the volcanic
slopes and in canyons radiating from the cone (Fig. 42).
Phase 2
This phase is characterized by the generation of
debris flows and flash floods.
82
AIRFALL ASH
GLOWING
AVAL.^NCHE
Figure 42.
Phase I of the eruption cluster airfall ash and glowing avalanche deposition
83
figure
43,
Phase II of ^,
^eworkina o % ^ ^ ^^^Ption cluster
- ^ ^lood ^e.^ittl'
'^^ ^ebrirVow
84
conditions within the volcanic sedimentation system
require a rare, major event to trigger the fan forming
processes.
In fluvial sedimentary environments, thresholds
are formed by the shear stress required to initiate
particle motion within a flow.
It is only when
Thus
PHASE III
AGGRADING
F i g u r e 44.
86
PHASE IV
OEGRADING
Figure 45.
of source eventually
Phase IV - Erosion
results in return of streams to sinuous
phase.
8
Rather, in the volcanic system, it is the sporadic
introduction of debris into the system which constitutes
the threshold for generation of deposits.
As noted
These records
The
88
2000-
kj
1900 u
laoo
Vi
1700
iSOO
[ 5 0 0 -^
F i g u r e 46.
MAwOR
ZR\JPT\OH
L'JS r ^ 3
89
PHASE
TIME
II
III
IV
Table 7.
PROCESS
Airfall
Glowing Avalanches
-0-2 yr
Debris Flows
Floods
=^0-20 yr
>=i20 yr
Stream Incision
Delta Reworking
90
low sediment transport, channels,(Fig. 45).
The four phases will probably occur within a time
period of 20 to 30 years.
This response of the sedimentation system to
volcanic eruptions of varying magnitude suggests that a
geomorphie threshold may exist within the system.
Until
As the events
91
ca
4h
I ' l l
I960
1970
- ^
1980
TIME yr
F i g u r e 47.
i-j
92
10 0000 b-
FF
looooi
PF
!0
iOO
^ 0 0 ^
M iTiicrons
Figure 48.
CM
93
7
VI
vo
MEAN I
rigure
49
94
1971 to 1974 eruption suggests that these pulses are
approximately twenty to thirty years in length.
DISTINCTION OF VOLCANICLASTIC DEPOSITS
Criteria developed for the recognition of various
types of voleanielastic deposits are included in Table
8 and as figures (48 and 49). Examination of plots of
the coarsest grain fraction of deposits versus their
mean grain size (Fig. 48) demonstrates that differentiation of airfall, braided fluvial, flood feeder canyon,
flood fan, and glowing avalanche - debris flow deposits
may be made by such means.
No differentiation of
Turbulent flow
flows.
95
Differentiation of these deposits is conjectural
Glowing
96
Table 8
VOLCANICLASTIC DEPOSITS
Airfall
Ash
Glowing
Avalanches
Debris
Flows
Flood
Flows
Braided
Fluvial
Base
Non-erosive
Non-erosive
Non-erosive
Erosive
Erosive
Support
Grain
Support
Matrix
Support
Matrix
Support
Grain
Support
Grain
Support
Grain
Size
Sand and
granule
size
particles
Boulderssand size
particles
Gravel sand
size
particles
Sorting
Well sorted
Very poorly
sorted
Very
poorly
sorted
Poor well
sorted
None
Faint
parallel
laminations
Proximalno ne
Distalcrossbedded
Structureless,
parallel
bedded,
crossbedded
Structures Laminated
following
topography
Downflow
Behavior
Grain size
and thickness decrease.
sorting
may improve
Thickness
may decrease
Thickness
decreases
Grain size
and thickness decrease,
sorting
improves
Grain
size
decreases
sorting
improves
Associated
Deposits
Thick Glowing
avalanches
Thin Others
Airfall ash
Debris
flows
Glowing
avalanches
Flood and
fluvial
sediments
Debris
flows
Braided
fluvial
Flood
fans
9"
CONCLUSIONS
Sedimentation on the active Guatemalan continental
margin has involved deposition of thick sequences of
volcaniclasties in the forearc basin.
Sedimentation is
Voleanielastic
Phase 3
98
These fans
Distal fan
99
Proximal fan sediments were deposited by airfall
and glowing avalanche processes.
100
HOLOCENE SEDIMENTATION
General Statement
Voleanielastic sediments from Holoeene eruption
clusters have been preserved in airfall ash blankets,
glowing avalanche fans, debris flow fans, flash flood
cones, braided fluvial deposits, and in prograding
deltaic environments,(Table 9).
Holocene deposits west of Fuego volcano consist
of 1 to 10 m thick beds of black to buff colored ash and
lapilli interpreted as representing airfall deposits
from eruption clusters generated over the last 30,000
years by Fuego, Agua, and Acatenango volcanoes.
Similar
Roughly
102
DISTANCE
DEPOSITS
Proximal
(0 - 10 Km)
Thick Airfall
Glowing Avalanche
Intermediate
(0 - 35 Km)
Debris Flows
Floods
Braided Fluvial
Braided Fluvial
Deltaic
Distal
(35 - 60 Km)
Table 9.
103
plain (Fig. 50). These sediment fans display a rapid
decrease in slope from 15 to 1 percent over a distance
of 35 km.
104
Braided
Fluvial
Figure 50
10
'^-:Vs?5>B^^ri^ 3cifi^V:
-
i"
Figure 51.
'C^'j
-'
'
'
>'-?
"
>
'
"
"
?*^-?
1?^>
'-*^it
'1S^
106
Section
/ y /
0 OQo-2?-(3
ja-o
P - O O O O 0<5 0(7'
5m-
d-.
(?
CiJ
O-
VO:
i3-<;a o - ^ Q o - o j - i ?
o-<3-o-O'O
Q.Q- O-Ci
ao-^-i^-a
OOO-QO
meters
Figure 52.
107
1-
.'
'_ ' ^
. n
r>- . ' . . . . O. -
a . o
o
o
6-
Figure
53.
0 o
* a
eesses.
Coarse
Numerous
Sinuous channels
Braided
109
results from the lateral migration of environments.
On the upper fan, lateral migration occurs as topographic
depressions are infilled.
This avulsion
Lateral migration of
Glowing
Grain
Distal
Repeated
Ill
through their own alluvium.
The extremely deep cuts of the Madre Vieja,
Guaealate, and Michatoya Rivers, all of which pass
through the currently active volcanic chain to the interior suggests that these systems may predate development
of the Quaternary stratocones.
It is suggested that
these systems developed during the Pleistocene by headward erosion of streams through the uplifting Tertiary
blocks.
Thin
112
airfall tephra - ash flow tuff - lacustrine sediments capped by a paleosol (Koch and McLean, 19^5).
Pleistocene deposits on the coastal plain are far
thinner and outcrop in small deposits south of the
uplifted Tertiary blocks at the coastal plain transition.
These deposits occur over an erosional Tertiary
surface of low hills and consist of extremely poorly
sorted, structureless masses of pumice containing
subangular to rounded fragments of white pumice as well
as pebbles of granodiorite and monzonite.
The Pleisto-
Although no origin
In a similar fash-
113
suggests that the Tertiary units had already experienced
uplift prior to the emplacement of reworked Pleistocene
materials such as those found on the coastal plain and
near Lake Amatitlan.
The presence of uplifted Tertiary blocks suggests
a possible model for Pleistocene sedimentation on the
coastal plain.
The uplift
of these units also had the effect of creating a restricted basin between the Cordillera to the north and the
highland Tertiary massifs.
The presence of
114
It is suggested that headward erosion of stream
systems (Madre Vieja, Guaealate, Michatoya) resulted
in an eventual breaching of the Tertiary massif barrier.
Evidence of this erosion exists today in the deeply
entrenched valleys cut by these streams to the highlands.
These high gradient streams would have acted as conduits
for the transference of water from the highland lakes
to the Pacific Ocean to the south.
115
Figure 54
116
TERTIARY VOLCANICLASTIC SEDIMENTATION
General Statement
Voleanielastic sediments of Tertiary age are
exposed throughout the volcanic highlands of Guatemala
(Fig. 54). Williams (1960) assigned a late Miocene-Pliocene age to these deposits and suggested that they were
produced by eruptions from widely dissiminated fissures.
The emplacement of these materials on an eroded late
Cretaceous surface suggested to Williams that no volcanic
activity had occurred in the highlands between the late
Cretaceous and late Tertiary.
The lack of radial dikes, eroded cones, or voleanielastic sediments with quaquaversal dips suggested to
Williams that none of the vast voleanielastic deposits
were related to eruptions from large composite cones.
Such cones, in his opinion, have existed only within the
Quaternary.
The Tertiary landscape imagined by Williams was one
of broad plains and low plateaus formed by discharge of
lavas and glowing avalanches from fissures.
Scattered
11"
boulder conglomerates, coarse arkosic sandstone lenses,
ash beds, and andesite and basalt flows (Fig. 55).
Channelled erosional surfaces are present within many
sequences.
Faulting, however,
118
Oran
luppertM coMM
01 D e u M r \
I .-
FKnHSt
SuaKeHMontct ftM> f
Sfoaeiionai eoniaei
Sharp w w m i o * eonMCi
W)tr
ro*!*'* comct
LEGEND
Groi'> support efl OoutO*'
^.
on
F^
rotm*
ContQCT
Figure 55,
119
Figure 56
1^0
These units grade north-""
They are
Glowing avalanche
121
TABLE 10
AREA
AGE
VOLCANOES
FLOW ROCK
VOLCANICLASTICS
Oligoeene
and older
Composite
cones
Basalt
Pyroxene Andesite
Andesitic debris
flows, airfall ash,
fluvial sands
Miocene
Dacite
domes,
Composite
cones
Andesite
Pyroxene Dacite
Andesitic-dacitic
debris flows, airfall ash, fluvial
sands
Pliocene
Pleistocene
Pelean
domes
Rhyolite
Pumice,
Rhyolitic airfall
and ash flow deposits .
122
CO
c
/
<i
V
'~3
<D
>
*-(
0)
t/1
o
e
y:
.^
r-i
03
U
^
O
>
>-^
5H
0)
00
03
LO
o
zr.
123
volcaniclasties.
Examples
124
CONCLUSIONS
The development of the Guatemalan volcanic arc
has been characterized by widely varying styles of
voleanism and voleanielastic sedimentation.
Flow and
125
Construction of large composite cones characterizes
Quaternary volcanic activity.
Immense voleanielastic
REFERENCES
Anon., 1975, Estudio Integral de los recursos hidraulicas
del departmento de Escuintla, Institute Geografico
Nacional, Gautemala,
Bonis, S.B., and Salazar, 0., 1974, The 1971 and 19'3
eruptions of volean de Fuego, Guatemala, and some
socio-economic considerations for the volcanologist:
Bull. Volcano., v. 37, p. 394-400.
Davies, D.K., Almon, W.R., Bonis, S.B., and Hunter, B.E.,
1979, Deposition and diagenesis of TertiaryHolocene volcaniclasties, Guatemala: SEPM Special
Publication No. 26, p. 281-306.
Dickinson, W.R., 19:'3, Widths of modern are-trench gaps
proportional to past duration of igneous activity
in associated magmatic arcs: Jour. Geophvs. Research,
V. 78, p. 3376-3389.
Greer, E.W., 1978, Sedimentation patterns of the Rio
Achiguate delta system. Pacific coast, Guatemala:
unpublished M.S. thesis, Texas Tech University,
Lubbock, Texas, 127 pp.
Hebberger, J.J., 1977, Laharic and glowing avalanche
sediments: Unpubl. M.A. Thesis, The University
of Missouri, Columbia, 115 pp.
Hunter, B.E., 1976, Fluvial sedimentation on an active
volcanic continental margin - Rio Guaealate,
Guatemala: Unpubl. M.A. Thesis, The University of
Missouri, Columbia, 135 pp.
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ash-fiow deposits in the volcanic highlands of
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