Preliminary Correlation of Quaternary Volcanic Ashes from the Middle America Trench off Guatemala, Deep Sea Drilling Project Leg 67

Abstract

Mineralogical identification, glass chemistry, and instrumental neutron activation analyses of Quaternary volcanic ash layers from Leg 67 Holes 496, 497, and 499 are used to correlate the drill holes and on-land sources. We have identified two units at Hole 496 that correspond to the 23,000-yr.-old Pinos Altos ash (Samples 496-3-4, 55-57 cm and 496-3-5, 74-76 cm); the 84,000-yr.-old Los Chocoyos ash corresponds with Sample 496-5-4, 134-146 cm, but this latter correlation is less certain.

Pacific offshore record of plinian arc volcanism in Central America: 1. Along‐arc correlations

“…Tephra studies along the Central American subduction zone extend back to the early 1980s, when DSDP Leg 67 recovered 186 ash layers in the Pacific offshore Guatemala and was later complemented by DSDP Leg 84 [ Cadet et al , 1982a; Pouclet et al , 1985]. At both legs one ash layer was correlated firmly with the Los Chocoyos Ash from Lake Atitlán while other ash beds were tentatively associated with the 1902 eruption of Santa Maria volcano and the Pinos Altos tephra from Ayarza caldera [ Cadet et al , 1982a; Drexler et al , 1980; Pouclet et al , 1985; Rose et al , 1979, 1982]. Two DSDP sites from Leg 68 (502 and 503) and ODP Leg 165 (Figure 1) revealed 2019 volcanic ash layers, which probably originated from eruptions in Central America and possibly the Antilles, Mexico, and even the Andes, since the Early Miocene [ Jordan et al , 2006; Ledbetter , 1982; Sigurdsson , 1997].…”

“…[8] The last three decades have seen a number of publications investigating predominantly the tephrostratigraphic successions of single volcanoes or eruptions and limited areas in Central America [Bice, 1985;Bonis et al, 1970;Borgia and van Wyk de Vries, 2003;Bosse et al, 1976;Commision Ejecutiva Hidroelectrica del Rio Lempa (CEL), 1992, 1995Chiesa, 1991;Chiesa et al, 1992;Drexler et al, 1980;Hahn et al, 1979;Hart, 1983;Hazlett, 1987;Kempter et al, 1996;Koch and McLean, 1975;McKnight and Williams, 1997;Newhall, 1987;Peterson and Rose, 1985;Pullinger, 1998;Reynolds, 1987;Rose, 1987a;Rose et al, 1982Rose et al, , 1987Rose et al, , 1999Scott et al, 2006;Self et al, 1989;Sussman, 1985;Vogel et al, 2004Vogel et al, , 2006Williams, 1983;Wundermann, 1982;Wundermann and Rose, 1984]. We have recently revised and extended some of that work in Nicaragua [Freundt et al, 2006a;Kutterolf et al, 2007a;Pérez and Freundt, 2006;Wehrmann et al, 2006], El Salvador and Guatemala.…”

Petrography and Geochemistry of Volcanic Ash Layers from Leg 87A, Nankai Trough (South Japan)

“…Because of the very similar composition of volcanic products from this region, future accurate correlations of volcanic products and ash layers require further development of analytical techniques like INA (cf., Rose et al, 1982) and more precise dating of ash layers.…”

Ash Layers from Deep Sea Drilling Project Leg 84: Middle America Trench Transect

“…Tentative correlation of Recent deep-sea ash layers with Central American explosive deposits has been made using trace element data (INAA) on whole rock samples (Rose et al, 1982) or using principal component analysis with major elements composition (Cadet et al, 1982): Pinos Altos and Los Chocoyos Quaternary tephra units of Guatemala correlate with Site 496 ash layers. Whole rock sample trace element correlation seems to be accurate.…”