Cinder cone clustering in the TransMexican Volcanic Belt: implications for structural and petrologic models

Abstract

Here a new technique to volcano distribution studies, cluster analysis, is applied to cinder cone distribution in the central TransMexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB). A total of 1016 cinder cones are identified over an area of approximately 60 000 km2. Application of cluster analysis reveals structure in cinder cone distribution. Using a search radius parameter of 16 km, 75% of the cinder cones within the central TMVB are found within eight clusters of 45-159 cones each. Application of alignment analysis techniques demonstrates that cinder cone alignments have common orientations on a regional scale within three clusters, all located in the southernmost part of the Michoacan-Guanajuato volcanic field in the western portion of the study area. The cluster analysis, the alignment analysis, and some petrologic data support the hypothesis that the TMVB is segmented near 101°W. -from Author