Avances en el conocimiento de la Faja Volcánica Transmexicana durante la última década

Luca Ferrari

Instituto de Geología, UNAM, Apdo. Postal 70-296, Cd. Universitaria, 04510 México D.F.

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Abstract

The Trans-Mexican Volcanic Beft (TMVB), the volcanic arc built on the southern edge of the North America plate, presents several peculiar features such as large arc parallel variation in volcanic style and chemical composition, a slight obliquity with respect to the trench and a significant variation in the arc width. In this review I synthesize the main geologic, geophysics and geochemical contributions on this arc based on papers published during the last decade. Significant advances in this respect were the reconstruction of the structure of the subduction system; the establishment of the age and geologic evolution of the TMVB; the reconstruction of the volcanic history of the active centers, the volcanic hazard assessment; and the deeper insight into the petrogenesis of the magmas. Despite these advances, the origin and the evolution of the TMVB is not completely understood yet. In the future, detailed geologic and tectonic studies of the arc and geophysical and geochemical investigations on the geometry and nature of the crust and underlying mantle may contribute to solve these problems.