The bedded deposits at the base of this outcrop on the SW flank of Colima near the village of San Antonio are pyroclastic flow and pyroclastic surge deposits from an eruption that was radiocarbon dated to about 4,300 years ago. The thick deposit forming the majority of the outcrop is a debris avalanche deposit produced by collapse of the volcano. Erosion at the base of this deposit has exposed its mottled internal texture, reflecting various lithologic units that were transported without being mixed together.

Photo by Jim Luhr, 1983 (Smithsonian Institution).

This image is made available under the Public Domain Dedication CC0 license, but proper attribution is appreciated.

Keywords: outcrop | stratigraphy | geology | debris avalanche deposit

Colima