Detailed geomorphology of debris avalanches of El Estribo volcanic complex (Central Mexico)

Abstract

The El Estribo Volcanic Complex, located to the south of Pátzcuaro Lake (Central Mexico), forms an elevation based on a shield volcano crowned by a cinder cone. Two debris avalanches, dated at 28,000 and 14,000 ybp, cover an area of 4 km2 with a typical hummocky topography. The zone is a state natural protected area with no previous studies of hazard and risk from mass movement processes. Herein, we present a detailed geomorphological map of the debris-avalanche area, scale 1:20,000. The approach applied used two hierarchical levels, geomorphological landscapes and landforms. The fault scarp was mapped using high-resolution digital elevation models obtained whit unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) survey. We describe and characterized four main geomorphological units, 20 subunits, 66 hummocks, and the general drainage network. This map is a valuable tool to identify and quantify risks from mass movement processes.

Keywords

• mass movement
• unmanned aerial vehicles (uav)
• hummocks
• pátzcuaro lake
• michoacán–guanajuato volcanic field
• trans-mexican volcanic belt