The Colima Volcanic Complex (CVC) is located at the western end of the TMVB, at the southern limit of the Colima Graben. It consists of three andesitic composite cones, Cantaro, Nevado de Colima and Volcan de Colima. Cantaro volcano is highly eroded and its eruptive history is quite unknown. In contrast several works were performed to study the two younger edifices.

Sketch map of the Trans-Mexican Volcan Belt, with the location of the CVC and some other active volcanoes. 1:Popocatepetl; 2: Nevado de Toluca; Pico de Orizaba; 4: Chichon; 5: San Martin; 6: Jocotitlan.

Aster image of the CVC (3N,2, and 1 VNIR bands in RGB composition) adquired in 2003 (©Lucia Capra)

Nevado de Colima volcano (4240 m asl) has an approximate age of ca. 600 000 years. A paleosol overlying a pyroclastic flow deposit yields an age of 8100 radiocarbon years (Robin et al., 1990), a limiting minimum age for volcanic activity at this cone. No younger deposits are known. Three main episodes characterized this edifce (Nevado I, II and III ; Robin et al., 1987).During the Nevado II period, at 18,500 yrs B.P., a sector collapse yielded a debris avalanche deposit, associated with an east-facing horseshoe-shaped crater, 4 km in width. Stoopes and Sheridan (1992) concluded that the debris avalance traveled more than 120 km from the source up to the Pacific coast, with a total volume of 22-33km². Capra and Macias (2002) presented a different scenario, concluding that the debris avalanche traveled only 20 km southeast, forming a temporary lake of 1 km³ over the Naranjo river. The overtopping of this lake originated a 10km³ cohesive debris flow that reached the Pacific Coast. More....

Picture of the Nevado de Colima Volcano from east. (©Lucia Capra)

Volcan de Colima (3820 m asl) is the active composite cone, with a maximum age of about 50 000 years (Robin et al., 1987). Major eruptions occurred in 1913, 1981, 1991 and 1998-99/2000. Paleofuego represents the older part of the edifice, which presents a south-facing horseshoe-shaped crater where the active cone start to grow.Luhr and Prestegaard (1988) described a debris avalanche deposit exposed south of the edifice with an age of 4280 yr BP, contrasting with the age reported by Robin et al. (1987) of 9370 yr BP for the same deposit. Komorowski et al. (1997) presented a different scenario, proposing that collapse has occurred at least 9 times in the last 45 000 years. Cortes et al. (2005) recently published the geological map of the volcano, giving more detail on the stratigraphic record. More....

Picture of the Volcan de Colima from the west (©Juan Carlos Gavilanes)

The modern activity of the volcano is dominated by explosive phases, including two main plianian eruptions occurred in 1818 and 1913. After the 1913 plinian activity the volcano presented several eruptive phases that lasted few years, but since 1998 its activity became more persistent with vulcanian eruptions and lava and dome extrusion (Saucedo et al, 2005). The partial collapse of vulcanian eruptive columns, as well as the collapse of summit domes and lava flows fronts produced several block and ash flow deposits that filled proximal drainages up to distances of 6 km from the vent with thickness up to several meters in the proximal area. Specifically, during the last 15 years the volcano suffered several eruptive episodes as in 1991, 1994, 1998-1999, 2001-2003, 2004 and 2005 (Macias et al., 2006). Despite this intense eruptive activity the emitted products have not significantly affected the inhabited area. During heavy rains, which usually occur from June through to October at this latitude, these deposits are easily remobilized as lahars. More....

Picture of the Volcan de Colima from the north. (©Lucia Capra)

View of the cone from the Nevado de Colima summit (March 2008). (©Lucia Capra)

Aereal picture of the dome that is growing in the crater (October 2008). (©Nubia Angelica Zuazo)

♦ Capra, L. and Macías, J.L., 2002. The cohesive Naranjo debris flow deposit (10 km3): a dam breakout flow derived from the pleistocene debris-avalanche deposit of Nevado de Colima volcano (México). Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 117: 213-235.
♦ Cortes, A., Garduno, V.H., Navarro, C., Komorowski, J.C., Saucedo, R., Macias, J.L. and Gavilanes, J.C., 2005. Carta Geológica del Complejo Volcánico de Colima, Con Geología del Complejo Volcánico de Colima,. CARTAS GEOLóGICAS Y MINERAS 0185-4798 vol. 10
♦ Komorowski, J.C., Navarro, C., Cortes, A., Saucedo, R., Gavilanes, J.C., Siebe, C., Espíndola, J.M. and Rodriguez-Elizarrarás, S.R., 1997. The Colima Volcanic Complex. Field guide #3, IAVCEI, General Assembly, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
♦ Luhr, J.F. and Prestegaard, K.L., 1988. Caldera formation at Volcán de Colima, Mexico, by large Holocene volcanic debris avalanche. Journal of Volcanology and Geotherm Res, 35: 335-348.
♦ Macias, J.L., Saucedo, R., Gavilanes, J.C., Varley, N., Velasco Garcia, S., Bursik, M.I., Vargas Gutierres, V. and Cortes, A., 2006. Flujos piroclásticos asociados a la actividad explosiva del volcán de Colima y perspectivas futuras. GEOS, 25(3): 340-351.
♦ Robin, C., Mossand, P., Camus, G., Cantagrel, J.-M., Gourgaud, A. and Vincent, P.M., 1987. Eruptive history of the Colima volcanic complex (Mexico). Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 31: 99-113.
♦ Robin, C., Komorowski, J.C., Boudal, C. and Mossand, P., 1990. Mixed-magma pyroclastic surge deposits associated with debris avalanche deposits at Colima volcanoes, Mexico. Bulletin of Volcanology, 52: 391-403.
♦ Saucedo, R., Macías, J.L., Sheridan, M.F., Bursik, M.I. and Komorowski, J.C., 2005. Modeling of pyroclastic flows of Colima Volcano, Mexico: implications for hazard assessment. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 139(1-2): 103-115.
♦ Stoopes, G.R. and Sheridan, M.F., 1992. Giant debris avalanches from the Colima Volcanic Complex, Mexico: Implication for long-runout landslides (>100km). Geology, 20: 299-302.