Contact | RSS | EN | DE | EL | ES | FR | IT | RU

Zitácuaro-Valle de Bravo Volcano

Updated: Mar 29, 2024 13:27 GMT -
caldera 3500+ m / 11,483 ft
Central Mexico, 19.4°N / -100.25°W
Current status: normal or dormant (1 out of 5)

Zitácuaro-Valle de Bravo volcano is a volcanic field in the central part of the Mexican Volcanic Belt 80 km SW of Mexico City. It consists of the Zitácuaro complex which formed above the giant, 30 km wide Las Tres Chicas caldera near city of Heroica de Zitácuaro, and the Valle de Bravo field to the south.
The field contains andesitic lava shields, lava domes, and more than 100 cinder cones. The last activity was west of the Valle de Bravo lake.

[smaller] [larger]
Typical eruption style: explosive
Zitácuaro-Valle de Bravo volcano eruptions: 3050 BC ± 1000 years

Latest nearby earthquakes

No recent earthquakes
TimeMag. / DepthDistance / Location

Background

The Las Tres Chicas caldera is of Miocene age and would be classified as the result of a super-volcano eruption. The Zitácuaro complex is the result of activity within the caldera, which occurred during 3 principal episodes, forming dacitic lava domes, pyroclastic flows and andesitic lava flows. The youngest dated activity at the Zitácuaro complex produced the La Dieta airfall deposit about 31,000 years ago. Persistent local seismicity continues at Zitácuaro.
The Valle de Bravo area is located to the south. It contains dominantly andesitic lava domes and flows, many of which were erupted along regional faults. The youngest flows were erupted at the bottom of a fault-controlled canyon; the most recent of these, west of the Valle de Bravo lake, has been Argon-Argon dated at about 5200 +/- 2300 years ago, and its morphology suggests a Holocene age for other cones.
(adapted from: Smithsonian / GVP)

Latest satellite images

ZitácuaroValledeBravo satellite image sat1ZitácuaroValledeBravo satellite image sat2

No news in this list.

On this page: