Global Volcanism Program

The Global Volcanism Program has no activity reports available for Jocotitlán.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Weekly Reports available for Jocotitlán.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Bulletin Reports available for Jocotitlán.

The Global Volcanism Program has no synonyms or subfeatures listed for Jocotitlán.

Basic Data

Volcano Number

Last Known Eruption

Elevation

Latitude
Longitude

341062

1270 CE

3,900 m / 12,795 ft

19.73°N
99.758°W

Morphology

Volcano Landform
Composite

Volcano Types
Stratovolcano
Lava dome(s)

Rock Types

Major
Dacite
Andesite / Basaltic Andesite

Tectonic Setting

Subduction zone
Continental crust (> 25 km)

Population

Within 5 km
Within 10 km
Within 30 km
Within 100 km

7,220
84,108
630,469
24,986,674

Geological Summary

Jocotitlán is an isolated composite volcano that rises above the Toluca basin 60 km WNW of Mexico City. The volcano was constructed during the Pleistocene of andesitic-to-dacitic lava flows. A major obsidian-bearing dacitic Plinian eruption was followed by the emplacement of a dacitic lava-dome complex, accompanied by lava effusion, pumice-fall eruptions, and pyroclastic surges. The most prominent feature is a horseshoe-shaped escarpment open to the NE that formed as a result of gravitational failure of the summit during the early Holocene. The resulting debris-avalanche deposit covers an 80 km² area to the NE. Lava dome emplacement accompanied by pyroclastic flows and surges subsequently filled much of the avalanche scarp. The latest known eruption occurred about 700 years ago and produced block-and-ash flows and pyroclastic surges.

References

The following references have all been used during the compilation of data for this volcano, it is not a comprehensive bibliography.

Capra L, Macias J L, Scott K M, Abrams M, Garduno-Monroy V H, 2002. Debris avalanches and debris flows transformed from collapses in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, Mexico - behavior, and implications for hazard assessment. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 113: 81-110.

Macias J L, Garcia A, Arce J L, Siebe C, Espindola J M, Komorowski J-C, Scott K, 1997. Late Pleistocene-Holocene cataclysmic eruptions at Nevado de Toluca and Jocotitlan volcanoes, central Mexico. Brigham Young Univ Geol Studies, 42(1): 493-528.

Macias J L, Garcia A, Arce J L, Siebe C, Espindola J M, Komorowski J-C, Scott K, 1997. Late Pleistocene-Holocene cataclysmic eruptions at Nevado de Toluca and Jocotitlan volcanoes, central Mexico. IAVCEI Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Plenary Assembly, Excursion no. 14 Field Guide, p. 1-63.

Siebe C, Komorowski J-C, Sheridan M F, 1992. Morphology and emplacement of an unusual debris-avalanche deposit at Jocotitlan volcano, central Mexico. Bull Volcanol, 54: 573-589.

Eruptive History

There is data available for 2 confirmed Holocene eruptive periods.

1270 ± 75 years Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

1270 ± 75 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 3 Events for Episode 1

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Pyroclastic flow
- - - -	- - - -	Pumice

7740 BCE ± 75 years Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

7740 BCE ± 75 years - Unknown

Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (uncalibrated)

List of 5 Events for Episode 1

Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Pyroclastic flow
- - - -	- - - -	Avalanche
- - - -	- - - -	Pumice
- - - -	- - - -	Edifice Destroyed	Collapse/avalanche

Deformation History

There is no Deformation History data available for Jocotitlán.

Emission History

There is no Emissions History data available for Jocotitlán.

Photo Gallery

Jocotitlán rises above the Toluca basin and is seen here from the NW. This side of the edifice has a horseshoe-shaped escarpment that formed as a result of gravitational failure of the summit during the early Holocene. The conical hills of Cerro San Miguel (left) and Cerro la Cruz (center) are part of the resulting debris avalanche deposit that covers an 80 km² area to the NE.

Photo by José Macías, 1997 (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México).

The tree-covered hills in the foreground of this view of Jocotitlán from the NE are the steep lobate front of a massive debris avalanche deposit produced by partial collapse of the volcano. This catastrophic collapse was radiocarbon dated to about 9,690 years ago. The avalanche traveled a maximum distance of 12 km and covered an area of 80 km². The 2.8 km³ avalanche deposit is overlain by pyroclastic surge and airfall pumice deposits that were erupted immediately following the collapse.

Photo by José Macías, 1997 (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México).

This conical hill is among many hummocks found at the NE base of Jocotitlán volcano and represents part of the edifice that collapsed in a massive volcanic debris avalanche about 9,700 years ago. The hummocks contain abundant large blocks (1-10 m in diameter) and larger mega-blocks (10-20 m in diameter). The largest are up to 200 m high and occur within 3-5 km of the volcano along with large parallel transverse ridges up to 2.7 km long. The size and height decrease towards the margins of the deposit.

Photo by José Macías, 1997 (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México).

The tree-covered hills in the foreground and center of this view from the summit of Jocotitlán volcano were formed during a massive debris avalanche produced by collapse of the volcano about 9,700 years ago. The debris avalanche deposit includes several conical hummocks (such as those to the lower left) and large transverse ridges up to 2.7 km long. The avalanche traveled a maximum distance of 12 km to the NE and covered an area of 80 km².

Photo by Hugo Delgado-Granados, (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México).

GVP Map Holdings

Maps are not currently available due to technical issues.

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

There are no samples for Jocotitlán in the Smithsonian's NMNH Department of Mineral Sciences Rock and Ore collection.

External Sites

Copernicus Browser

The Copernicus Browser replaced the Sentinel Hub Playground browser in 2023, to provide access to Earth observation archives from the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem, the main distribution platform for data from the EU Copernicus missions.

MIROVA

Middle InfraRed Observation of Volcanic Activity (MIROVA) is a near real time volcanic hot-spot detection system based on the analysis of MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) data. In particular, MIROVA uses the Middle InfraRed Radiation (MIR), measured over target volcanoes, in order to detect, locate and measure the heat radiation sourced from volcanic activity.

MODVOLC Thermal Alerts

Using infrared satellite Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data, scientists at the Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawai'i, developed an automated system called MODVOLC to map thermal hot-spots in near real time. For each MODIS image, the algorithm automatically scans each 1 km pixel within it to check for high-temperature hot-spots. When one is found the date, time, location, and intensity are recorded. MODIS looks at every square km of the Earth every 48 hours, once during the day and once during the night, and the presence of two MODIS sensors in space allows at least four hot-spot observations every two days. Each day updated global maps are compiled to display the locations of all hot spots detected in the previous 24 hours. There is a drop-down list with volcano names which allow users to 'zoom-in' and examine the distribution of hot-spots at a variety of spatial scales.

WOVOdat
   Single Volcano View
   Temporal Evolution of Unrest
   Side by Side Volcanoes

WOVOdat is a database of volcanic unrest; instrumentally and visually recorded changes in seismicity, ground deformation, gas emission, and other parameters from their normal baselines. It is sponsored by the World Organization of Volcano Observatories (WOVO) and presently hosted at the Earth Observatory of Singapore.

GVMID Data on Volcano Monitoring Infrastructure The Global Volcano Monitoring Infrastructure Database GVMID, is aimed at documenting and improving capabilities of volcano monitoring from the ground and space. GVMID should provide a snapshot and baseline view of the techniques and instrumentation that are in place at various volcanoes, which can be use by volcano observatories as reference to setup new monitoring system or improving networks at a specific volcano. These data will allow identification of what monitoring gaps exist, which can be then targeted by remote sensing infrastructure and future instrument deployments.

Volcanic Hazard Maps

The IAVCEI Commission on Volcanic Hazards and Risk has a Volcanic Hazard Maps database designed to serve as a resource for hazard mappers (or other interested parties) to explore how common issues in hazard map development have been addressed at different volcanoes, in different countries, for different hazards, and for different intended audiences. In addition to the comprehensive, searchable Volcanic Hazard Maps Database, this website contains information about diversity of volcanic hazard maps, illustrated using examples from the database. This site is for educational purposes related to volcanic hazard maps. Hazard maps found on this website should not be used for emergency purposes. For the most recent, official hazard map for a particular volcano, please seek out the proper institutional authorities on the matter.

IRIS seismic stations/networks

Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Data Services map showing the location of seismic stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 0.18° (about 20 km at mid-latitudes) from the given location of Jocotitlán. Users can customize a variety of filters and options in the left panel. Note that if there are no stations are known the map will default to show the entire world with a "No data matched request" error notice.

UNAVCO GPS/GNSS stations

Geodetic Data Services map from UNAVCO showing the location of GPS/GNSS stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 20 km from the given location of Jocotitlán. Users can customize the data search based on station or network names, location, and time window. Requires Adobe Flash Player.

DECADE Data

The DECADE portal, still in the developmental stage, serves as an example of the proposed interoperability between The Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program, the Mapping Gas Emissions (MaGa) Database, and the EarthChem Geochemical Portal. The Deep Earth Carbon Degassing (DECADE) initiative seeks to use new and established technologies to determine accurate global fluxes of volcanic CO₂ to the atmosphere, but installing CO₂ monitoring networks on 20 of the world's 150 most actively degassing volcanoes. The group uses related laboratory-based studies (direct gas sampling and analysis, melt inclusions) to provide new data for direct degassing of deep earth carbon to the atmosphere.

Large Eruptions of Jocotitlán

Information about large Quaternary eruptions (VEI >= 4) is cataloged in the Large Magnitude Explosive Volcanic Eruptions (LaMEVE) database of the Volcano Global Risk Identification and Analysis Project (VOGRIPA).

EarthChem

EarthChem develops and maintains databases, software, and services that support the preservation, discovery, access and analysis of geochemical data, and facilitate their integration with the broad array of other available earth science parameters. EarthChem is operated by a joint team of disciplinary scientists, data scientists, data managers and information technology developers who are part of the NSF-funded data facility Integrated Earth Data Applications (IEDA). IEDA is a collaborative effort of EarthChem and the Marine Geoscience Data System (MGDS).