Los Chocoyos eruption

Los Chocoyos eruption
Lake Atitlan as seen from orbit.
VolcanoVolcán Atitlán
Date98 – 75 kya
TypeIgnimbrite-forming
LocationGuatemala
VEI8
ImpactClimate disruption (disputed)

The Los Chocoyos eruption was a supervolcanic eruption that occurred sometime between 98,000 and 75,000 years ago, with the younger estimate placing the age close to the Youngest Toba eruption. The eruption consisted of approximately 1,220 cubic kilometres (290 mi3) of rhyolitic ash, with a dense-rock equivalent (DRE) of about 730 cubic kilometres (180 mi3). The eruption is the largest known eruption in Central America and the third, and most recent, caldera forming eruption at Atitlan, with two others known at around 11 mya and 8 mya.

The eruption resulted in voluminous pyroclastic density currents, leaving deposits 6–10 metres (20–33 ft) thick in Chiapas, over 130 kilometres (81 mi) from the source. Ash deposits were found over an area of 6,000,000 km2 (2,300,000 mi2). It has been previously postulated that the eruption caused a millennial-scale volcanic winter, although new evidence suggests that is not the case.

References

  1. ↑ Cisneros de León, Alejandro; Schindlbeck-Belo, Julie C.; Kutterolf, Steffen; Danišík, Martin; Schmitt, Axel K.; Freundt, Armin; Pérez, Wendy; Harvey, Janet C.; Wang, Kuo-Lung; Lee, Hao-Yang (2021). "A history of violence: magma incubation, timing and tephra distribution of the Los Chocoyos supereruption (Atitlán Caldera, Guatemala)". Journal of Quaternary Science. 36 (2): 169–179. Bibcode:2021JQS....36..169C. doi:10.1002/jqs.3265. ISSN 1099-1417.
  2. 1 2 Baudry, Alec; Singer, Brad S.; Jicha, Brian; Jilly-Rehak, Christine E.; Vazquez, Jorge A.; Keller, C. Brenhin (2024-10-01). "A Bayesian age from dispersed plagioclase and zircon dates in the Los Chocoyos ash, Central America". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 643 118826. Bibcode:2024E&PSL.64318826B. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2024.118826. ISSN 0012-821X.
  3. ↑ Cisneros de León, Alejandro; Schindlbeck-Belo, Julie C.; Kutterolf, Steffen; Danišík, Martin; Schmitt, Axel K.; Freundt, Armin; Pérez, Wendy; Harvey, Janet C.; Wang, Kuo-Lung; Lee, Hao-Yang (2021). "A history of violence: magma incubation, timing and tephra distribution of the Los Chocoyos supereruption (Atitlán Caldera, Guatemala)". Journal of Quaternary Science. 36 (2): 169–179. Bibcode:2021JQS....36..169C. doi:10.1002/jqs.3265. ISSN 1099-1417.
  4. 1 2 Cisneros de Leon, Alejandro; Christin Schindlbeck-Belo, Julie; Kutterolf, Steffen; Danišík, Martin; Schmitt, Axel Karl; Freundt, Armin; Pérez, Wendy; Harvey, Janet; Wang, Kuo-Lung; Lee, Hao-Yang (April 2021). "Timing and distribution of the Los Chocoyos supereruption from Atitlán caldera (Guatemala) by zircon 238U-230Th and (U-Th)/He double-dating". EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts: EGU21–16327. Bibcode:2021EGUGA..2316327C. doi:10.5194/egusphere-egu21-16327.
  5. 1 2 Innes, Helen M.; Hutchison, William; Sigl, Michael; Crick, Laura; Abbott, Peter M.; Bigler, Matthias; Chellman, Nathan J.; Davies, Siwan M.; Kutterolf, Steffen; McConnell, Joseph R.; Severi, Mirko; Sparks, R. Stephen J.; Svensson, Anders; Wolff, Eric W.; Rae, James W. B. (2025-02-22). "Ice core evidence for the Los Chocoyos supereruption disputes millennial-scale climate impact". Communications Earth & Environment. 6 (1): 137. Bibcode:2025ComEE...6..137I. doi:10.1038/s43247-025-02095-6. hdl:1983/860d9160-6d90-4f59-8f0f-41bd06cc46c1. ISSN 2662-4435.
  6. ↑ Newhall, Christopher G. (1987-08-01). "Geology of the Lake Atitlán Region, Western Guatemala". Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. 33 (1): 23–55. Bibcode:1987JVGR...33...23N. doi:10.1016/0377-0273(87)90053-9. ISSN 0377-0273.
  7. ↑ Vallance, J. W.; Calvert, A. T. (December 2003). "Volcanism during the past 84 ka at Atitlan caldera, Guatemala". AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts. 2003: V32D–1050.