Naolinco volcanic field facts for kids
The Naolinco volcanic field is a special area in Veracruz, Mexico. It's a place where many small volcanoes are found close together. This volcanic field is located near the cities of Jalapa and Naolinco. The town of Naolinco itself is actually inside this volcanic area!
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What is a Volcanic Field?
A volcanic field is a region with many small volcanoes. These volcanoes are often called monogenetic volcanoes. This means they usually erupt only once. The Naolinco field is part of a much larger group of volcanoes. This larger group stretches across Mexico.
Where is it Located?
The Naolinco Volcanic Field is found in a mountain range called the Sierra de Chiconquiaco. It has several volcanic cones. A volcanic cone is a cone-shaped hill made from volcanic ash and rocks.
Some of the cones in this field include:
- Cerro Acatlan (which is the biggest cone here)
- Cerro el Hoyo
- Two cones called Cerro Gordo
- Cerro Organo
- Pueblo Viejo
One cone, Rincon de Chapultepec, has a large crater. This crater is about 275 meters (902 feet) wide. The volcanoes in this field seem to line up in a certain direction. They stretch from the northeast to the southwest. Lava flows from these volcanoes have mostly moved towards the south. You can also find lots of volcanic ash and rocks in the area.
When Did it Erupt?
Scientists have studied the rocks from the Naolinco field. They use a method called Potassium-argon dating. This method helps them find out how old the rocks are. The studies show that the volcanoes here erupted about 1.2 million and 0.82 million years ago. Most of the material that came out of these volcanoes was a type of rock called basalt.
The most recent eruption happened at the Rincon de Chapultepec cone. This eruption occurred about 2,980 years ago. It created a lava flow called the Coacotzintla lava flow. This lava flow was very long, reaching about 6 kilometers (3.7 miles). It covered an area of about 8.1 square kilometers (3.1 square miles). The total amount of lava was huge, about 122,000,000 cubic meters (4.3 billion cubic feet)! This cone also erupted two other lava flows. One of them is now covered by volcanic ash.
Future Eruptions
It's possible that the Naolinco volcanic field could erupt again in the future. Very large eruptions could affect towns and cities nearby. However, most of these eruptions would likely impact areas that are not very populated. This is especially true if the lava flows are long.
See also
In Spanish: Naolinco (campo volcánico) para niños
