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Seismicity and Focal Mechanisms of Ceboruco Volcano (Mexico) from a Dense Seismic Network: Insights into Recent Activity and Potential Future Eruptions

Francisco Javier Núñez Cornu1, Diana Núñez2, Charlotte A. Rowe3

  • Affiliations: 1 CA Sismologia y Volcanología de Occidente (SisVOc), Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico 2  Fac. CC. Físicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, SPAIN. 3  Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM, USA

  • Presentation type: Poster

  • Presentation time: Thursday 16:30 - 18:30, Room Poster Hall

  • Poster Board Number: 118

  • Programme No: 2.1.28

  • Theme 2 > Session 1

Abstract

Ceboruco Volcano is a stratovolcano located in the western region of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt; at this volcano, effusive-explosive episodes have accompanied eight eruptions during the last 1000 years, providing an average of one eruption every 125 years, the last eruptive period was 1870--1875, it is considered one of the most hazardous volcanoes in Mexico. We have conducted a detailed study of the seismicity in the surroundings of Ceboruco's volcanic edifice to assess the current state of this volcano. As part of the P-24 project of the CeMIEGeo consortium. A dense temporary seismic network with 25 seismic stations in an area of 16 km × 16 km was deployed between November 2016 and July 2017; this effort has allowed the detection of 81 earthquakes concentrated beneath the crater with depths between 4 and 8 km. In this study, we observe that the recorded seismicity occurs in swarms as previous studies report), and we specifically identify four sequences that we characterize in detail via the first focal mechanisms available for this volcano. Our results suggest a change in the local seismicity distribution compared to earlier observations, which reported seismic activity near the volcano edifice associated with fluid migration along zones of weakness related to the extensional stresses of the Tepic-Zacoalco rift. The changes in seismic patterns and obtained focal mechanisms are consistent with observed fluid effects at many geothermal sites worldwide but also could suggest a resumption of activity at this volcano.