Global Volcanism Program | Serdán-Oriental

The Global Volcanism Program has no activity reports available for Serdán-Oriental.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Weekly Reports available for Serdán-Oriental.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Bulletin Reports available for Serdán-Oriental.

This compilation of synonyms and subsidiary features may not be comprehensive. Features are organized into four major categories: Cones, Craters, Domes, and Thermal Features. Synonyms of features appear indented below the primary name. In some cases additional feature type, elevation, or location details are provided.

Cones

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Ahuatepec, Cerro

Cone

2820 m

19° 3' 0" N

97° 25' 0" W

Alchichica

Tuff ring

2500 m

19° 25' 0" N

97° 24' 0" W

Brujo, Cerro el
Malpais, Cerro

Shield volcano

2900 m

19° 8' 0" N

97° 35' 0" W

Tepexitl, Cerro
Jalapasquillo

Tuff ring

2600 m

19° 13' 30" N

97° 25' 30" W

Xalapasco, Cerro

Tuff cone

2500 m

19° 23' 27" N

97° 29' 53" W

Craters

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Aljojuca

Maar

2520 m

19° 5' 30" N

97° 32' 0" W

Atexcac, Laguna
San Luis Atexcac

Maar

2600 m

19° 20' 0" N

97° 27' 0" W

Ocotenco

Maar

2660 m

19° 5' 0" N

97° 28' 0" W

Preciosa, La

Maar

2380 m

19° 22' 0" N

97° 23' 0" W

Quechulac

Maar

2360 m

19° 22' 30" N

97° 21' 0" W

Tecuitlapa

Maar

2460 m

19° 7' 30" N

97° 32' 30" W

Xalapasquillo
Jalapasquillo

Maar

2380 m

19° 13' 0" N

97° 33' 0" W

Domes

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Derrumbadas, Las

Dome

3485 m

19° 16' 0" N

97° 27' 0" W

Pinto, Cerro

Dome

3100 m

19° 22' 0" N

97° 30' 0" W

Pizarro, Cerro

Dome

3100 m

19° 30' 30" N

97° 26' 0" W

Basic Data

Volcano Number

Last Known Eruption

Elevation

Latitude
Longitude

341092

Unknown - Evidence Credible

3,485 m / 11,434 ft

19.27°N
97.47°W

Morphology

Volcano Landform
Cluster

Volcano Types
Volcanic field
Tuff cone(s)
Lava dome(s)

Rock Types

Major
Rhyolite
Andesite / Basaltic Andesite
Dacite

Minor
Trachyandesite / Basaltic Trachyandesite
Basalt / Picro-Basalt

Tectonic Setting

Subduction zone
Continental crust (> 25 km)

Population

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

93,158
93,158
211,350
7,672,879

Geological Summary

The Serdán-Oriental is a broad closed basin at the eastern end of the Mexican Altiplano with numerous late Pleistocene to Holocene rhyolitic lava domes, tuff cones, tuff rings, lava flows, and scoria cones. The basin, filled by large lakes during the Pleistocene, is bounded by the Cofre de Perote-Orizaba range on the east and Los Humeros caldera to the north. The most prominent features of the volcanic field are the two Las Derrumbadas lava domes surrounded by debris avalanche deposits, and the sharp-peaked Cerro Pizarro lava dome at the northern end of the basin. Several of the tuff rings contain lakes, such as Laguna Atexcac and Laguna Alchichica. A major explosive eruption from a vent inferred to be buried within the basin produced the Quetzalapa Plinian pumice-fall deposit roughly 20,000 years ago.

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.

Carrasco-Nunez G, Ort M H, Romero C, 2007. Evolution and hydrological conditions of a maar volcano (Atexcac crater, Eastern Mexico). J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 159: 179-197.

Carrasco-Nunez G, Riggs N R, 2008. Polygenetic nature of a rhyolitic dome and implications for hazard assessment: Cerro Pizarro volcano, Mexico. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 171: 307-315.

Luhr J F, Kimberly P G, Siebert L, Aranda-Gomez J J, Housh T B, Kysar Mattietti G, 2006. Quaternary volcanic rocks: insights from the MEXPET petrological and geochemical database. In: Siebe S, Macias J-L, Aguirre-Diaz G J (eds) Neogone-Quaternary continental margin volcanism: a perspective from Mexico, Geol Soc Amer Spec Pap, 402: 1-44.

Negendank J F W, Emmermann R, Krawczyk R, Mooser F, Tobschall H, Werle D, 1985. Geological and geochemical investigations on the eastern Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. Geof Internac, 24: 477-575.

Ort M H, Carrasco-Nunez G, 2009. Lateral vent migration during phreatomagmatic and magmatic eruptions at Tecuitlapa maar, east-central Mexico. J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., 181: 67-77.

Riggs N R, Carrasco-Nunez G, 2004. Evolution of a complex isolated dome system, Cerro Pizarro, central Mexico. Bull Volcanol, 66: 322-335.

Siebe C, Macias J L, Abrams M, Rodriguez S, Castro R, 1997. Catastrophic prehistoric eruptions at Popocatepetl and Quaternary explosive volcanism in the Serdan-Oriental Basin, east-central Mexico. IAVCEI General Assembly, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, January 19-24, 1997, Fieldtrip Guidebook, Excursion no 4, 88 p.

Siebe C, Verma S P, 1988. Major element geochemistry and tectonic setting of Las Derrumbadas rhyolitic domes, Puebla, Mexico. Chem Erde, 48: 177-189.

Zimmer B W, Riggs N R, Carrasco-Nunez G, 2010. Evolution of tuff ring-dome complex: the case study of Cerro Pinto, eastern Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. Bull Volcanol, 72: 1223-1240. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-010-0391-6

Eruptive History

The Global Volcanism Program is not aware of any Holocene eruptions from Serdán-Oriental. If this volcano has had large eruptions (VEI >= 4) prior to 12,000 years ago, information might be found on the Serdán-Oriental page in the LaMEVE (Large Magnitude Explosive Volcanic Eruptions) database, a part of the Volcano Global Risk Identification and Analysis Project (VOGRIPA).

Deformation History

There is no Deformation History data available for Serdán-Oriental.

Emission History

There is no Emissions History data available for Serdán-Oriental.

Photo Gallery

The NW-most dome of the two Las Derrumbadas lava domes, seen here from the NE along the highway to Perote, has undergone extensive hydrothermal alteration. Fumaroles on the domes remain active. The eroded hillside near the center is the outer flank of the San Luis Atexcac tuff ring, which contains a crater lake.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1999 (Smithsonian Institution).

The most prominent features of the Serdán-Oriental volcanic field are the two Las Derrumbadas lava domes. The NW (left) and SE (right) domes are of similar height and lithology and rise about 1 km above their bases. The Serdán-Oriental is a broad closed basin at the eastern end of the Mexican altiplano containing lava domes, tuff rings, lava flows, and scoria cones of late-Pleistocene to Holocene age. Several of the tuff rings, such as Laguna Atexcac and Laguna Alchichica, contain crater lakes.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1997 (Smithsonian Institution).

The NW-most of the two Las Derrumbadas lava domes is surrounded by hummocky debris avalanche deposits such as those in the foreground, that were produced by repeated collapse of the domes. The hummocks contain mixtures of rock types, including pyroclastic surge deposits, Cretaceous limestones, lacustrine sediments, and banded obsidians. These are thought to have originated from a former tuff ring that surrounded the lava domes.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1997 (Smithsonian Institution).

Cerro Pinto on the NE horizon is a lava dome that formed within a tuff cone. Cerro Pinto is one of several large lava domes within the enclosed Serdán-Oriental basin. The hills in the foreground are hummocks of a debris avalanche deposit produced by collapse of Las Derrumbadas lava domes.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1997 (Smithsonian Institution).

The Cerro Pinto lava dome is seen here from the rim of Laguna San Luis Atexcac maar, just south of Highway 140. The dome grew within a cone with a crater about 2 km wide. The crater overlaps with that of the Cerro Xalapasco cone to the north.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1998 (Smithsonian Institution).

A roadcut through the eastern rim of the Cerro Xalapasco tuff cone exposes pyroclastic-surge deposits. The road provides access to a quarry where perlite (hydrated obsidian) is mined. Cofre de Perote volcano rises on the distant horizon across the Serdán-Oriental basin.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1998 (Smithsonian Institution).

The Laguna Alchichicha maar is filled by the largest lake in the Serdán-Oriental basin. The rim of the basaltic to basaltic-andesitic maar varies in height and is highest on the western side. The western crater wall exposes a scoria cone that was partially destroyed by the maar-forming eruption. White tufa deposits line the shore of the lake.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1997 (Smithsonian Institution).

The Las Derrumbadas lava domes rise above the rim of the San Luis Atexcac maar. The two rhyolite lava domes rise about 1 km above their bases. The NW dome (right) consists of a microcrystalline rhyolite that has been extensively altered by fumarolic activity. The SE dome (left) is of similar lithology. The carapace of both domes has been removed by a series of slope failures. The San Luis Atexcac maar in the foreground erupted through Cretaceous limestones and Tertiary monzonites and hornfels.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1998 (Smithsonian Institution).

The Laguna Alchichicha maar is the largest of the Serdán-Oriental volcanic field, located just off Highway 140 between Puebla and Jalapa. The low rim of the maar increases in height to the west. The pyroclastic surge deposits contain juvenile fragments of scoriaceous basaltic or basaltic-andesite material. Tufa deposits such as those in the foreground are located along the shore of the lake. Cerro Pizarro in the distance is the northernmost lava dome of the Serdán-Oriental field.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1997 (Smithsonian Institution).

The Atexcac maar is one of several lake-filled maars of the Serdán-Oriental volcanic field. The walls expose pyroclastic surge beds produced during formation of the maar. Cretaceous limestone beds and remnants of a basaltic scoria cone partially destroyed during formation of the maar are also exposed in the western crater walls. Abundant juvenile obsidian clasts are found in the surge deposits.

Photo by Hugo Delgado-Granados, 1997 (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México).

The SE-most of the two Las Derrumbadas lava domes is seen here from the SE. The extensively altered dome is surrounded by debris avalanche deposits. The more recent avalanche deposits consist almost entirely of microcrystalline rhyolite from the core of the dome. They left horseshoe-shaped collapse scarps such as the one visible to the upper right. These scarps reveal areas of intense alteration to kaolinite produced by prolonged fumarolic activity.

Photo by Hugo Delgado-Granados, 1995 (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México).

The Cerro Pinto rhyolite lava dome (right) rises 700 m above the Serdán-Oriental basin floor in this view looking ENE. The flat ridge to its left is the rim of the 2-km-wide Cerro Xalapasco, which contains multiple craters.

Photo by Gerardo Carrasco-Núñez, 2002 (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México).

The summit of the Cerro Pinto lava dome on the western side of the Serdán-Oriental basin provides an overview of the crater floor of Cerro Xalapasco tuff cone in the foreground. Pyroclastic surge deposits associated with Cerro Xalapasco were emplaced in a relatively dry eruptive environment. The peak to the far right is Cerro Pizarro, a lava dome at the northern end of the Serdán-Oriental. The flat ridge stretching across the horizon to the north is Los Humeros caldera.

Photo by Gerardo Carrasco-Núñez, 2002 (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México).

The pyroclastic surge deposits in the foreground are exposed in front of Cerro Pinto lava dome. The dome has a glassy and pumiceous outer layer partly overlain by pyroclastic surge deposits and blocks of local bedrock.

Photo by Gerardo Carrasco-Núñez, 2002 (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México).

Glacial erosion has modified the summit of Cofre de Perote volcano. Summit lava flows show glacial striations, and a glacial tarn (left) is SW of the summit. Cofre de Perote overlooks the intermontaine Serdán-Oriental basin, which contains lava domes, tuff rings, lava flows, and scoria cones. The two Las Derrumbadas lava domes are in the distance and Cerro Pinto dome to their right are about 40 km SW.

Photo by Lee Siebert, 1999 (Smithsonian Institution).

The fresh-looking lava flows at the top of the image were erupted from Los Humeros caldera (just out of view to the north). The basaltic and andesitic lava flows extend up to about 15 km from the caldera rim. The flows have not been dated precisely, but are younger than 20,000 years and could in part be of Holocene age. The Tepeyahualco (left) and Limón (right) lava flows bracket circular 3100-m-high Cerro Pizarro lava dome (right center), the northernmost feature of the Serdán-Oriental volcanic field.

NASA Landsat satellite image, 1999 (courtesy of Loren Siebert, University of Akron).

This view of the Serdán-Oriental basin covers about 38 km in a N-S (vertical) direction. The circular peak at the upper center, partially surrounded by young lava flows from Los Humeros caldera, is Cerro Pizarro lava dome. The lake-filled maar to the SSE across the light-colored dry lake basin is Alchichica maar. The erosionally ribbed flanks of Cerro Xalapaxco tuff cone and Cerro Pinto lava dome lie to the SW, and the large forested peaks at the bottom are the the twin Las Derrumbadas lava domes.

NASA Landsat satellite image, 1999 (courtesy of Loren Siebert, University of Akron).

GVP Map Holdings

Maps are not currently available due to technical issues.

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

The following 4 samples associated with this volcano can be found in the Smithsonian's NMNH Department of Mineral Sciences collections, and may be availble for research (contact the Rock and Ore Collections Manager). Catalog number links will open a window with more information.

Catalog Number	Sample Description	Lava Source	Collection Date
NMNH 117450-19	Obsidian	Derrumbadas, Las	--
NMNH 117450-21	Obsidian	Derrumbadas, Las	--
NMNH 117551-106	Obsidian	Derrumbadas, Las	--
NMNH 117551-107	Obsidian	Derrumbadas, Las	--

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 Serdán-Oriental. 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 Serdán-Oriental. 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 Serdán-Oriental

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).