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Forty years of fluvial adjustment in response to persistent volcanic sedimentation from Santiaguito Volcano, Guatemala

James Christie1, Adele Campus2, Yakelin Iglesias Garcia3

  • Affiliations: 1School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom 2Department of Earth Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy 3Instituto Nacional de Sismología, Vulcanología, Meteorología e Hidrología, Guatemala

  • Presentation type: Poster

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

  • Poster Board Number: 161

  • Programme No: 3.5.20

  • Theme 3 > Session 5

Abstract

Volcanoes strongly influence the hydrogeomorphic dynamics of rivers that drain their flanks. Fluvial systems affected by explosive volcanism exhibit some of the highest sediment yields observed on Earth, with much of this yield being driven by hazardous lahars. Multi-decadal, longitudinal studies of sediment transport dynamics within this context are very rare, and most prior work has focussed on the impacts of relatively short-lived sediment supply events. For the last century, the Samala River, Guatemala, has received a persistent supply of sediment due to the long-lived and ongoing development of the Santiaguito lava dome complex. This case presents an exceptional opportunity to examine the relationship between persistent but variable sediment supply, water supply, and subsequent fluvial adjustment over a multi-decadal time span. Thus, here, we present a ~40-year synthesis of remotely sensed lava extrusion rates, river aggradation rates, and rainfall, complemented by available ground-based observations.