Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica Mexicana Volumen 69, núm. 3, 2017, p. 577 ‒ 590

Full vector magnetic dating of some pyroclastic rocks associated to the Colima volcano, western Mexico

Gerardo Cifuentes-Nava^1,2, Avto Goguitchaichvili^1,*, Héctor López-Loera³, Miguel Cervantes¹, Abel Cortés, Leda Sánchez-Bettucci⁵, José Luis Macías, Juan Morales¹, José Rosas-Elguera

¹ Laboratorio Interinstitucional de Magnetismo Natural and Servicio Arqueomagnético Nacional, Instituto de Geofísica Unidad Michoacán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México – Campus Morelia, 58190, Morelia, México.

² Programa de Posgrado en Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, s/n, 04510, Ciudad de México, México.

³ División de Geociencias Aplicadas - IPICYT, Camino a la presa San José 2055, Lomas 4a sección, 78216, San Luis Potosí, S.L.P., México.

⁴ Centro Universitario de Estudios e Investigaciones de Vulcanología, Universidad de Colima, Av. Gonzalo de Sandoval # 444, Villas San Sebastián, C.P. 28045, Colima, México.

⁵ Universidad de la República, Observatorio Geofísico del Uruguay, Iguá 4225, Montevideo, Uruguay.

⁶ Instituto de Geofísica Unidad Michoacán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México – Campus Morelia, 58190, Morelia, México.

⁷ Laboratorio Interinstitucional de Magnetismo Natural, Sede - Universidad de Guadalajara, Av. Juárez No. 976, Edificio de la Rectoría General, piso 11, Colonia Centro, 44100, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México.

*This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

A combined rock-magnetic and paleomagnetic researches were carried out on some pyroclastic rocks and pre-Columbian pottery fragments associated to the Colima Volcanic Complex. A full battery of magnetic measurements was performed in order to estimate magnetic mineralogy and to determine both the directions and absolute intensities of the characteristic remanent magnetization. In this paper we report absolute age determination using magnetic dating for two volcanic eruptions associated to the Colima volcano (Volcán de Fuego). The geomagnetic field prediction model SHA.DIF.14K, based on full vector (declination, inclination and absolute paleointensity), was used for first time in pyroclastic flows deposits and intercalated potteries. The results obtained agree reasonably well with available radiometric (C¹⁴) data, them provide a more accurate age determination of the cooling moment for the lava flows.

Keywords: Magnetic dating, Colima volcano, Pyroclastic lava, pre-hispanic pottery, Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt.