Articek

Geological Society of America
Special Paper 402

2006
Morphostratigraphic evolution of Popocatpetl volcano, Mxico

Ramn Espinasa-Perea
Ana Lillian Martn-Del Pozzo
Instituto de Geofsica, Universidad Nacional Autnoma de Mxico, Ciudad
Universitaria, Mxico D.F. 04510, Mxico
ABSTRACT
The evolution of Popocatpetl volcano was determined through the definition of
rock units following morphostratigraphic criteria and detailed geological sections.
The primitive volcano, named Nexpayantla, probably contemporaneous with Pies
volcano, a part of the Iztacchuatl volcanic complex to the north, grew beneath the site
of todays cone. This volcano produced mainly andesitic to dacitic lava flows, presented flank activity in the form of several large dacitic lava domes, and was intruded by
dacitic to rhyolitic dikes. The evolution of Nexpayantla volcano finished with a large
collapse to the south that produced the Lower Tlayecac avalanche deposit. A new
cone, Ventorrillo volcano, was built on the remains of Nexpayantla and was formed
mostly by andesitic lava flows, but did not present any recognizable flank activity.
Ventorrillo volcano collapsed in a large Bezymianny-type eruption toward the southwest, producing the Upper Tlayecac avalanche deposit and the Tochimilco pumice.
The Calpan fan was derived from collapse and eruptions of Pies volcano.
The present-day cone grew through the emission of many andesitic to dacitic lava
flows, which were grouped into eroded or covered lava slopes (Malpas, Las Mesas,
Metepec, and San Pedro Benito Juarez lava flows), and glaciated (Fraile lava flows)
and nonglaciated (Las Cruces, Buenavista, Quimichule, Atlimiyaya, Chiquipixle, and
Nealtican lava flows) lava slopes with marked features, both from the central vent and
from flank eruptions, mainly to the northeast and southwest of the cone. The Ecatzingo and Ombligo-Xalipilcyatl flank vents formed two well-defined lineaments. The
relative ages of the lava flows were determined through morphology, stratigraphic
relations, and tephra cover. Two stages of growth were separated by a large Plinian
eruption, which emplaced the Black and White (B&W) and Pumice with Andesite
(PWA) fall deposits, which were used as stratigraphic markers. Another twelve Plinian pumice deposits are interstratified with the lava flows.
Four large volcaniclastic fans and five valley fill deposits form the volcanos piedmont, and have resulted from the successive emplacement of pyroclastic flows, lahars,
and fluvial deposits along several gullies that mark the lower slopes of the volcano.
Glacier melting coincident with several of the Plinian eruptions could have been
responsible for some of the extensive lahar deposits.
Keywords: Popocatpetl, volcano, morphology, stratigraphy.
E-mails: ramone@geofisica.unam.mx; analil@geofisica.unam.mx.
Espinasa-Perea, R., and Martn-Del Pozzo, A.L., 2006, Morphostratigraphic evolution of Popocatpetl volcano, Mxico, in Siebe, C., Macas, J.L., and AguirreDaz, G.J., eds., Neogene-Quaternary continental margin volcanism: A perspective from Mexico: Geological Society of America Special Paper 402, p. 101123,
doi: 10.1130/2006.2402(05). For permission to copy, contact editing@geosociety.org. 2006 Geological Society of America. All rights reserved.
101
102
Espinasa-Perea and Martn-Del Pozzo
INTRODUCTION
Popocatpetl is a large stratovolcano located in the central
part of the Mexican volcanic belt, which formed by subduction
of the Cocos and Rivera plates beneath the North American
plate (Carrasco-Nez et al., 1986; Fig. 1). It is located at the
southern end of the Sierra Nevada, a north-south lineation of
volcanoes, which includes Iztacchuatl (Nixon, 1989), 80 km
from Mexico City, 40 km from the city of Puebla, and closer
to several other large towns and cities. This volcano has had a
complex eruptive history, which in recent times has included
explosive activity, and many smaller eruptions in historic
times. After 70 yr of inactivity, small ash emissions started
in December 1994 and continue to the present, together with
the emplacement and subsequent destruction of over 15 lava
domes inside the crater. The activity has generated a renewed
interest in this volcano, since a major eruption could affect several million people.
Each major volcanic eruption generates a particular landform identifiable by its surface shape, such as lava flows,
tephra mantles, cones and fans, lahar, and pyroclastic flow fills
in valleys and craters. In stratovolcanoes of great height like
Popocatpetl (5452 m above sea level [masl]), glaciation is also
a major landscape modifier, which can alternate with the eruptive activity. Therefore, the definition of morphostratigraphic
units and the analysis of their temporal relationships help in
understanding the history of a volcano and the eruptive and
erosional processes involved in its evolution.
A morphostratigraphic unit is a body of rock that is identified primarily from the surface form it displays, and morphostratigraphy is considered the classification of landforms
according to their relative order of age (Lowe and Walker,
1984, p.283). This type of approach was used by Martn-Del
Pozzo (1982) in the study of the Chichinautzin monogenetic
volcano field. The relative ages of the volcanic cones were
determined by common stratigraphic criteria (superposition of
volcanic deposits) and by geomorphic criteria, such as degree
of preservation of the original landforms, and amount of soil

and younger tephra cover. Lugo et al. (1993) also identified the
different volcanic landforms and deposits of the Colima volcanic complex with morphologic criteria.
In this paper, we define a series of morphostratigraphic
units related to volcanic events, in order to understand the
morphologic and geologic evolution of Popocatpetl and its
surroundings. An original geologic map of Popocatpetl (Fig.
2) was constructed based on morphostratigraphic criteria and
supported with over 300 stratigraphic sections of volcaniclastic
and tephra deposits around the volcano. The proposed units are
recognizable in the field, in aerial photographs, and the most
widespread in satellite images.
PREVIOUS WORK
Popocatpetl is less than 730,000 yr old, since all its rocks
have normal polarity (Conte et al., 2004). The large original cone
was built up by andesitic and dacitic lava flows (Robin, 1984).
The volcano has been destroyed at least twice by Bezymiannytype eruptions. The products were named Tlayecac Formation by
Fries (1965), but were not recognized as debris avalanches until
1987 by Robin and Boudal. The most recent avalanche was dated
by Siebe et al. (1995a) between 22,875 + 915/820 and 23,445
210 yr B.P. The modern cone of Popocatpetl was formed mostly
by lava flows of andesitic to dacitic composition (Robin, 1984).
The next large-scale eruptive event reported at Popocatpetl
was a large Plinian eruption between 12,900 400 and 14,700
280 yr B.P., which deposited the Pumice with Andesite (PWA)
unit, as named by Mooser (1967). Several eruptions associated
with the emplacement of pyroclastic flow deposits have been
identified and dated both to the north and south of the cone: 9640
440 and 4980 50 yr B.P. (Robin and Boudal 1987), 8000
1200 yr B.P. (Boudal, 1985), and 4650 100 yr B.P. (Martn-Del
Pozzo et al., 1997). Other younger Plinian events have also been
dated at 4805 60 yr B.P. (P-3), 2150 80 yr B.P. (P-2), and
1290 80855 55 yr B.P. (P-1) (Heine and Heide-Weise, 1973;
Figure 1. Popocatpetl is located in the

Mexican volcanic belt in the central part
of the country. It is the southernmost volcano in a chain known as Sierra Nevada,
which includes Tlloc and Iztacchuatl
volcanoes.
Figure 2. Morphostratigraphic map of Popocatpetl volcano and surrounding areas.
104
Robin, 1984; Siebe et al., 1995b, 1996a, 1996b; and Plunket and
Uruuela, 1998).
Many small eruptions are described in historic documents.
They consist mostly of ash emissions and the possible emplacement of lava domes in the crater (Casanova, 1987). Lorenzo
(1964) and Delgado et al. (1986) described the glaciers on the
volcano, while White (1981) and Palacios (1996) studied the
retreat of these glaciers and associated geomorphic changes in
historic times.
METHOD
A morphostratigraphic map was constructed from the
interpretation of 111 aerial photos at varying scales from 1:5000
to 1:100,000. Volcanic deposits were identified and classified
into volcanic slopes formed by lava flows, tephra mantles,
and piedmont fan surfaces. These were further differentiated
according to the degree of preservation of the original volcanic landforms, drainage patterns, soil and vegetation cover,
as well as their relation with tephra markers. Additionally,
glacial landforms (moraines, U-shaped valleys, and cirques)
were identified. The relative chronology was established by
the superposition of morphologic and identifiable tephrochronologic units. In most cases, field evidence was used to characterize each unit. This information was transferred to four
1:50,000 topographic maps (INEGI, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999),
which were used to elaborate the base map. Over 50 field trips
were undertaken to study the lithology of each major unit and
to sketch over 300 stratigraphic sections of the deposits that
either cover or form each unit. Based both on morphology and
altitude, glacial deposits were correlated with those defined
by White for nearby Iztacchuatl (1956, 1962a, 1962b, 1987)
and dated by Vzquez-Selem (2001), and Vzquez-Selem and
Heine (2004).
For the purpose of using dated tephra units as chronostratigraphic marker layers, over 300 stratigraphic sections
were measured. This resulted in the identification of 15 different tephras with chronostratigraphic potential, of which 11
have been dated (Table 1). Although they do not have a direct
expression on the relief, they proved useful in determining the
minimum age range of the morphostratigraphic units that they
cover. One exception is the Ceniza Negra (Black Ash), which
forms a conspicuous mantle over most of the main volcanic
cone.
Names given to the different morphostratigraphic units
reflect the morphology of the body of rock being considered,
the origin of the deposit, and a type locality that shows both the
characteristic relief that defines the unit as well as its typical
lithology. Their distribution is shown on the map (Figs. 2 and
3). In the selection of names, the nomenclature that appears
on the INEGI maps is generally followed, except in the case
of two errors in the E14-B42 map (Huejotzingo) as compared
with the popular use (Careaga, 1982; Secor, 1993). The rocky
peak to the northwest of the main summit, normally referred to
by the name Ventorrillo, is called Pico del Fraile on the INEGI

map. This name (Fraile) is used by mountaineers to refer to a
small rocky peak at 5060 masl on the southwestern flank of
the main cone. On the same map, Cerro Ventorrillo is used
for a large dome, called Cerro Nexpayantla by locals, near the
head of the Nexpayantla canyon. These errors on the INEGI
map have caused serious confusion in the names that different authors have used to refer to the northwestern structure of
Popocatpetl. Mooser (1957) and Mooser et al. (1958) call it
volcano Nexpayantla; Robin (1984), Robin and Boudal (1987),
Boudal (1985), and Boudal and Robin (1988) refer to the same
structure as volcano El Fraile, while Carrasco-Nez et al.
(1986) use the name Ventorrillo. In this work, we follow the
nomenclature followed by the last authors, as it conforms with
the locally used names. The name Nexpayantla will be used for
rocks that only crop out at the bottom of this deep canyon.
MORPHOSTRATIGRAPHIC UNITS OF
POPOCATPETL VOLCANO AND ADJACENT AREAS
Folded and Faulted Mesozoic Sedimentary Ranges
The prevolcanic basement that supports the Popocatpetl
products was identified to the south of the mapped area as a series
of isolated, rounded hills with steep slopes and rounded surfaces.
These hills are formed by Mesozoic marine sedimentary rocks
(limestones, sandstones, and shales), which belong to the Morelos, Cuautla and Mexcala Formations as defined by Fries (1965),
and an early Tertiary continental conglomerate (Balsas Formation; Fries, 1965). They are covered unconformably by the Lower
and Upper Tlayecac avalanche deposits, the Las Mesas lava flow,
the Tulcingo lahars, and the Coyula complex volcaniclastic fan,
which will be described further on.
Scoria Cones and Related Lava Flows (Recent and/
or Eroded)
This unit consists of small monogenetic scoria cones and
their related lava flows, grouped into two units by differences in
geographical position and age.
Atlixco Volcanics
The series of steep hills with rounded summits north and
east of the city of Atlixco is formed by a complex series of basaltic andesite (51%52% SiO2) volcanic rocks that include both
lava flows and volcaniclastic deposits (Boudal and Robin, 1988).
They are of possible Tertiary age, since the eruptive centers are
hardly distinguishable and have mostly been eroded away, and
could correlate with the Ixtlilco or Tepexco Groups that crop out
to the southwest of the mapped area (Fries, 1965). They cover
unconformably the rocks of the Mesozoic Sedimentary Ranges,
and are covered unconformably by the deposits of the Calpan
dissected volcanic fan, by the Metepec lavas, the Tochimilco
pumice, and the Tianguismanalco lahars.
Upper tlayecac
avalanche
Unnamed
Lower tlayecac
avalanche
Pmez tochimilco
Tetela ash
P-10
P-9
P-8
P-7
Black and White

pumice
Pumice with andesite
P-4
Unnamed
P-3
Unnamed
P-2
P-1D
P-1 C
(White Pumice)
P-1 A and B
TABLE 1. CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHIC TEPHRA MARKERS OF POPOCATPETL VOLCANO

Description
Location
Age
(yr B.P.)
Black andesitic ash and lapilli
Covering most of the upper
450 40
cone.
Two white pumice fall deposits separated by surge Upper cone and northeastern
855 551030 65
deposits.
flank
One large white pumice fall deposit.
Upper cone and northeastern
1130 501230 90
flank
Small cream pumice fall deposit.
Upper cone and northeastern
1255 451290 80
flank
One thick orange pumice fall deposit.
Upper cone and northern flank
1825 1752150 80
Heine and Heide-Weise (1973)
Author(s)
Heine and Heide-Weise (1973);

Siebe et al. (1996a)
(White Pumice)
Robin (1984); Cantagrel et al.
(Upper Ceramic)
(1984); Siebe et al. (1996b)
(Cream Pumice)
Siebe et al. (1996b); Plunket and
Uruuela (1998
(Ochre pumice)
Siebe et al. (1996b); Plunket and
(Lower Ceramic)
Uruuela (1998)
Unnamed
Pyroclastic flow deposits.
In Barranca Seca, between Paso 3840 704320 70 Robin (1984)
de Corts and Xalitzintla
Ashflow deposits.
Northeastern flank
4370 604780 65 Siebe et al. (1996b)
Pyroclastic flow deposit
San Pedro Benito Juarez
4650 100
Martin del Pozzo et al. (1997)
(Orange pumice)
One brown pumice fall deposit with surge deposits Northern and southwestern
4805 60
Heine and Heide-Weise (1973)
(Upper Pre-Ceramic) at its base.
flanks
4965 65
Siebe et al. (1996b)
Unnamed
Ash-flow deposits.
Northeastern flank
4810 905145 75 Siebe et al. (1996b)
Pyroclastic flow deposits.
In Barranca Seca, between Paso
4980 50
Robin (1984)
(Lower Pre-Ceramic) Lense-like orange pumice fall deposits with surge In Barranca Seca, between Paso
9640 440
Robin (1984)
deposits at its base.
(PWA)
Three pumice fall deposits with many andesitic
All around, but mostly on the
12,900 4014,430 Mooser (1957, 1967); Mooser et al.
(Tutti-Frutti Pumice)
and other lithic fragments.
northwestern flanks
190
(1958); Lorenzo and Mirambell
(1986)
(Gray Pumice)
Intercalated thin lapilli fall layers of white pumice All around, but mostly on the
Undated, underlies the Mooser (1957, 1967); Mooser et al.
and gray to black andesitic lithics
northwestern flanks
PWA
(1958); Lorenzo and Mirambell
(1986)
Yellow to orange fall pumice deposit, with
Southwestern flank
Undated
This paper
abundant lithics, in lenses
Four fall deposits of yellowish white pumice,
Southwestern flank
Undated
This paper
separated by surge deposits of dark gray ash.
Three fall deposits of orange to yellow pumice,
Southwestern flank
Undated
This paper
separated by surge deposits of brown to gray ash
and/or by pyroclastic flow deposits of thin ash.
White pumice fall deposit with subrounded
Southwestern flank
Undated
This paper
particles, covering a surge deposit of laminated
yellowish brown ash.
Brown ash deposit, very fine, with occasional
Lower slopes of the
22,875 915/820 Siebe et al. (1995a)
pumice fragments.
southwestern flank
(Yellow Pumice)
Pumice fall deposit with marked graded layers due Lower slopes of the
22,00023,655
to oxidation of small lithics.
southwestern flank
Avalanche deposit with large jigzaw blocks.
Lower slopes of the
22,00023,655
southwestern flank
paleosols
23,445 210
Avalanche deposit with large jigsaw blocks.
Lower slopes of the
>36,000
Robin and Boudal (1987)
southwestern flank
Previous works
Unit
This work
Ceniza Negra
402-05
Figure 3. Stratigraphic relations for Popocatpetl volcano and surrounding areas.
Chichinautzin Formation
On the western portion of the mapped area, a morphostratigraphic unit, contemporaneous with Popocatpetl, is made up of
basaltic-andesite (SiO2 < 53%) cinder cones and lava flows with
very distinctive youthful morphology that belong to the eastern
portion of the Chichinautzin monogenetic volcanic field (Martn-Del Pozzo, 1982). These cones are Pleistocene to Holocene
(Bloomfield, 1975; Martn-Del Pozzo, 1980, 1982; Martn-Del
Pozzo et al., 1997; Siebe et al., 2004, 2005), and their products
are interbedded with those from Popocatpetl.
Lava Slopes
The main elevations of the study area constitute the volcanic
edifice of Popocatpetl and are made up of lava slopes. Several
individual andesitic to dacitic lava flows are clearly discernible
from the relief and were mapped independently, while the rest
were grouped according to the degree of preservation of the primary structures of the lava flows, their pyroclastic cover, and the
degree of fluvial and/or glacial dissection. Adventitious cones
and lava flows were also identified to the southwest and northeast of the main crater.
Deeply Eroded Lava Slopes
This unit is formed by lava slopes covered by thick pyroclastic deposits, which obscure their fronts and other primary
flow structures on their surface. Deep U-shaped valleys of Nexcoalango glacial age (196 ka; Vzquez-Selem, 2001; VzquezSelem and Heine, 2004) with headwaters at steep cirque headwalls cut into these lava slopes. The bottoms of the valleys have
barrancas (ravines) eroded by postglacial streams. High and steep
subrounded domes cut these lava flows. Due to morphological
and stratigraphical differences, they were further discriminated
into the following units:
Amacuilcatl Lava Flows. At the northern portion of the
mapped area, north of Paso de Corts, the slopes are inclined
toward the southwest, south, and southeast, and the lavas originated from Pies volcano from the Iztacchuatl complex (Nixon,
1989). These lavas will be referred to in this paper as Amacuilcatl lava flows from the name of the highest peak on the rim of the
volcano. They are andesites and dacites (62%64% SiO2; Nixon,
1989; Robin, 1984; Schaaf et al., 2005) and have been dated to
270 20, 340 40, and 410 140 ka (Nixon, 1989). The lavas
from Pies volcano are deeply eroded with deep U-shaped glacial
valleys, like Barranca de Alcalican to the west that White (1962a,
1962b) related to the Nexcoalango glaciation. They are intruded
by five large dacitic (62% SiO2; Nixon, 1989) domes, and are
covered by the Buenavista lava flow and the Ventorrillo lavas.
The Amacuilcatl lavas are also partially covered by Popocatpetl pyroclastic deposits, which include pumices B&W, PWA,
P4, P3, P2, P1, and Ceniza Negra.
Nexpayantla Lavas. These lavas crop out only at the
bottom of Barranca Nexpayantla, the deepest canyon to the
northwest of Popocatpetls summit. The morphology of the
107
U-shaped valley shows an unconformity between the lavas

that form the eroded inner slopes of the valley and those in the
uppermost slopes (Ventorrillo lavas), shown by the density of
gullying and a slope difference. The Nexpayantla lavas below
the unconformity are also distinguishable from the upper Ventorrillo lavas because they are cut by dacitic to rhyolitic dikes
and domes (61%70% SiO2; Boudal and Robin 1988; Nixon,
1989; this study) that form crests and steep ridges and do not
intrude the upper slopes. The lavas are andesitic to dacitic (61%
SiO2, this study). In the mapped area, the Nexpayantla lavas
are covered by the Ventorrillo flows, as well as by pumices
B&W, PWA, P4, P3, P2, P1, and the Ceniza Negra.
This unit corresponds to the remnants of the ancestral
volcano named Nexpayantla. It is an approximate temporal
equivalent of the Amacuilcatl volcano and lava flows of Iztacchuatl. The lavas are intruded by the Tezozolco, Yoloxchitl,
Nexpayantla, and Tlamacaz domes, in the last of which we
found outcrops with glacial striae of possible Nexcoalango
age.
Toward the southeast, this unit ends at a scarp south of
Cerro Nexpayantla, which is continuous with the southern
scarp of the Tlamacaz Dome (Fig. 4). Both scarps were identified by Robin and Boudal (1987) as the northern edge of a large
caldera formed by a Bezymianny-type eruption that destroyed
Nexpayantla volcano. Its deposits are tentatively correlated in
this paper with the Lower Tlayecac avalanche deposit, and with
Debris Avalanche Deposits 2 and/or 3 of Siebe et al. (1995a).
Ventorrillo Lava Flows. Most of the northwestern portion of Popocatpetl volcano is made up of lava slopes inclined
toward the northwest and north. Although very obscured by the
thick tephra cover, some of their fronts and edges can be identified on aerial photos. The lava flows surrounded the domes
emplaced through the underlying Nexpayantla lavas. Two deep
U-shaped glacial valleys of probable Nexcoalango age, Barranca Hueyatlaco and Barranca Nexpayantla, were eroded into
these lavas.
The lava flows are andesitic to dacitic (60%62% SiO2;
Robin, 1984; Boudal and Robin, 1988) and are more than 10 m
thick; some are over 50 m thick, as can be seen on the cliffs at
the northern face and cirque of the Ventorrillo peak. This unit
represents the eroded remains of a volcano younger than Nexpayantla, here called Ventorrillo, since this is the proper name
of its summit, and is equivalent to Unit I of Robin (1984). It is at
the northern cirque of this peak where the lava flows are better
exposed, since its steep slopes and the denudative processes
have prevented the accumulation of the pyroclastic deposits,
which cover these lavas elsewhere.
Toward the southeast, this unit terminates at a marked
scarp that forms the western ridge of Ventorrillo toward Cerro
Tlalpizatpetl (Fig. 5). This escarpment is interpreted here as
the northern edge of a caldera formed by a Bezymianny-type
eruption that destroyed Ventorrillo volcano, depositing the
Upper Tlayecac avalanche, equivalent to Debris Avalanche
Deposit 1 of Siebe et al. (1995a). The eastern and southeastern
108
Figure 4. View of the southern escarpment of the Tlamacaz dome from Popocatpetls upper slopes. This escarpment represents the northern edge of
the caldera that resulted from the collapse of Nexpayantla volcano.
Figure 5. Aerial view of Popocatpetls

western flank showing the southern
escarpment between Ventorrillo and
Cerro Tlalpizatpetl. The different
lava flows that make up the modern
cone can also be distinguished. Notice
the solifluction lobes developed on the
Ceniza Negra invading the vegetation
in the foreground.
edges of the caldera are now covered by the modern cone.

However, to the southeast, near Tochimilco, an outcrop of older
lavas surrounded by the Las Mesas lava flow is considered to
be part of the remaining flank of Ventorrillo volcano.
The Ventorrillo lava flows overlie the Amacuilcatl lava
flows and also the Nexpayantla lavas, and are covered by the
B&W, PWA, P4, P3, P2, and P1 pumices, as well as by the
Ceniza Negra (Figs. 5 and 6). The Ventorrillo lavas are also
covered by the Hueyatlaco, Milpulco, and Ayoloco moraines,
and by the Las Mesas, El Fraile, and Las Cruces lavas, which
are discussed further on.
Slightly Eroded and/or Covered Lava Slopes

This unit is formed by slightly eroded lava flows, in which
no primary flow features can be distinguished due to the tephra
cover, and their vents have been covered by later units.
El Malpas Lava Flow. North of Yecapixtla, the front of a
large andesitic (56% SiO2; Robin, 1984) lava flow, over 100 m
thick, was mapped upward for ~10 km to an area where it is covered by the Amecameca-Ozumba coalescent volcanic fans near
Tlacotitln. This lava flow is covered by the tephras of Yoteco
and Tlecuilco volcanoes of the Chichinautzin Formation, and
unconformably overlies the Upper Tlayecac avalanche flow.
Figure 6. Stratigraphic sections of the pyroclastic cover of Pies and Ventorrillo volcanoes. It includes Pumices P1a and P1b with their surges, pumices P2, P3, and P4, the three beds
of Pumice with Andesite (PWA) and the Black and White (B&W) pumices, with several pyroclastic flows and the Buenavista lava flow interbedded between them.
110
Las Mesas Lava Flows. A group of older lava slopes can

be distinguished in the western, southern, and southeastern
flanks of the main cone, in which no primary flow structures
can be identified due to the pyroclastic cover and their near
complete burial by younger Fraile flows. One of these slopes
can be traced down southward to a large andesitic lava flow
(62%64% SiO2; Robin, 1984; Schaaf et al., 2005), clearly
identifiable for over 25 km as a large series of flat-topped hills
with steep lateral scarps, called Las Mesas. The flow fronts,
as well as leves and flow ridges are easily identifiable on the
distal portions, both in aerial photos and in the field, as there is
little pyroclastic cover.
The Las Mesas flow divides into two different tongues,
which surround the hills to the west of Tochimilco, identified above as Ventorrillo lavas. It was emplaced at the contact
between the Tlayecac volcanic fan and the western edge of
the Coyula volcaniclastic fan, and overlies rocks of the Upper
Tlayecac avalanche, the Tochimilco pumice, and the Ventorrillo
lavas. It is covered by the El Fraile lavas, the Tulcingo lahar
deposits, the Barranca Cohuatlaltenco flows (part of the Coyula
complex fan), and in the proximal areas by the P7, B&W, PWA,
P3, P2, and P1 pumices.
Metepec Lava Flow. West of Metepec and Axocopan,
below the deposits of the Coyula volcaniclastic fan, the front
of an andesitic (62%63% SiO2; Robin, 1984; this study) lava
flow forms a steep scarp between this fan and the distal portions
of the Calpan dissected volcanic fan. Although mostly covered
by the youngest deposits of the Coyula fan, the fronts of the
lava flow are easily distinguished in aerial photos by their morphology. This Metepec lava flow overlies the Atlixco volcanics,
the Tochimilco pumice, and the Calpan dissected fan. It is interbedded with the Coyula complex fan and is covered by the P1
pumice. It is probably a temporal equivalent of the San Pedro
Benito Juarez lava flows.
San Pedro Benito Juarez Lava Flows. South of the
town of San Pedro Benito Juarez appear the fronts of a group
of andesitic (58%62% SiO2; Boudal and Robin, 1988) lava
flows, almost completely buried by the younger deposits of the
Coyula volcaniclastic fan. They overlie the Tochimilco pumice, and are considered approximate temporal equivalents of
the Metepec lava flow.
Glaciated Lava Slopes with Marked Flow Fronts
El Fraile Lava Flows. This unit is made up of lava flows
10 to >50 m in thickness and more than 10 km in length, which
become discernible below the main summit of Popocatpetl.
In the upper portions, the lava flows are characterized by steep
cliffs along the lava flow fronts and have been eroded into glacial cirques, probably during the Hueyatlaco glaciation (2014
ka; Vzquez-Selem, 2001; Vzquez-Selem and Heine, 2004).
In the lower portions, the primary flow structures of the lavas
are buried under a thick pyroclastic blanket. This unit is equivalent with Unit IIA of Robin (1984).
These lavas are named after the small El Fraile peak, 5060
masl, located southwest of the main summit. It is a small horn
cut on one of the lava flows by the erosion of the southwestern
and western glacial cirques (Fig. 7). The drainage pattern in this
unit is essentially radial, mostly controlled by the structure of
the lava flows, because streams follow the contacts between the
different flows that constitute this unit.
Figure 7. Western cirques of Popocatpetl carved on the El Fraile lava flows

with Pico del Fraile on the right ridge,
and one of the Ayoloco moraines at the
base of the cirque.
The dacitic (63%65% SiO2; Boudal and Robin, 1988)

lavas cover most of the Ventorrillo caldera remnants to the south
of Cerro Tlalpizatpetl. Some of the flows go around or cover
the Las Mesas lava flows, and also unconformably overlie the
highest hummocks of the Tlayecac avalanche fan, including the
Tochimilco pumice. The El Fraile lava flows are covered by
the Chipiquixtle lava flow, the Tulcingo lahars, the Hueyatlaco,
Milpulco and Ayoloco moraines, the upper flows that make up
the Coyula fan complex, and the P10, P9, P8, P7, B&W, PWA,
P4, P3, P2, P1 pumices, and Ceniza Negra, making up the most
complete tephra sequence of Popocatpetl (Fig. 8).
Ecatzingo Adventitious Cones. A series of cones, 100150
m in height and an average diameter of 500 m, are aligned
toward the southwest in the direction of Ecatzingo. Some of
these cones are cut by small normal faults parallel to their main
lineation. Nevertheless, they havent been eroded by the present
drainage, which follows the contact between lava flows. The
lavas emitted by these vents are morphologically very similar to
the El Fraile lava flows, and are probably of similar age, since
all primary features have been obscured by the tephra cover,
which includes B&W, PWA, P3, P2, and P1 pumice deposits
and the Ceniza Negra. They overlie the Tlayecac avalanche fan,
but are covered (and partially interbedded with) the Amecameca-Ozumba coalescent fan deposits.
Nonglaciated Lava Slopes with Primary Flow Structures
Most of the eastern slopes of the main cone are made up of
lava flows with relatively clear flow fronts and edges, although
covered in places by thick deposits of the Ceniza Negra fall
deposit. Most of them were grouped into Las Cruces lava flows,
but the most conspicuous individual flows on Popocatpetls
outer slopes, with vents, fronts, edges, levees, and other structures clearly identifiable both on aerial photos and in the field,
were mapped separately:
Las Cruces Lava Flows. On the northeastern and eastern
flanks of Popocatpetl, a series of dacitic (63%65% SiO2;
Robin, 1984; Boudal and Robin, 1988; Schaaf et al., 2005) lava
flows from 20 to >100 m in thickness were distinguished. Some
originate at the edge of the present crater, while others come
from the Ombligo-Xalipilcyatl flank vents. Although several
pyroclastic deposits cover the lavas, their primary flow structures are well preserved and can be distinguished even with the
vegetation cover, evidence of their relative youth. No important
glacial erosion is seen, although minor Milpulco moraines can
be observed on the upper slopes, mostly obliterated by the thick
Ceniza Negra that mantles these areas. The Las Cruces lavas
unconformably overlie the Calpan dissected volcanic fan and
are covered by the Xalitzintla lahars, the Nealtican lava flow,
the P1 and P2 pumices, and the Ceniza Negra (Fig. 9).
Quimichule Lava Flow. This lava flow issued from the
southeastern flank at 4200 masl, south of Barranca Quimichule.
It shows primary surface flow features perfectly visible on aerial photos. It is over 100 m thick, 5 km long, and overlies the El
Fraile and the older Las Cruces lava flows. It was not reached
111
during field work, so the tephras that cover it were not identified; its morphology is evidence for its youth.
Buenavista Lava Flow. Near Buenavista, east of Paso de
Corts, an elongated ridge that follows the contact between the
Amacuilcatl and Ventorrillo lava flows is made up of a single
andesitic (61%62% SiO2; Robin, 1984; Boudal and Robin,
1988; Schaaf et al., 2005) lava flow clearly visible in the field,
although its small size makes it difficult to identify on aerial
photos. First identified by Nixon (1989), it is ~20 m thick, 50
100 m wide, and ~4 km long. It overlies the Amacuilcatl and
Ventorrillo lava flows, and the P4, PWA, and B&W deposits,
but is covered by P3, P2, and P1 pumices, as well as the Ceniza
Negra.
Atlimiyaya Lava Flow. Also on the southeastern flank, at
2800 masl, there is another adventitious cone 70 m high and
250 m in diameter. Its andesitic (59% SiO2; Schaaf et al., 2005)
lava flow, which reaches just north of the town of San Baltazar Atlimiyaya, shows clear fronts, edges, and surface primary
flow features, evidence for its relative youth. It covers the Calpan dissected fan deposits and the Las Cruces lava flows, and
is overlain by the Nealtican lava flow, as well as by the P1 and
P2 pumice deposits and the Ceniza Negra.
Chipiquixtle Lava Flow. The Chipiquixtle is an andesitic
scoria cone 200 m in diameter and 50 m high, aligned with the
Ecatzingo adventitious cones. A lava flow over 100 m thick and
3 km long was emitted by this cone and has very visible fronts.
It overlies the El Fraile lavas and the Hueyatlaco moraines, and
is covered only by the P1 pumice and the Ceniza Negra.
Nealtican Lava Flow. This is the conspicuous dark
andesitic (60%63% SiO2; Robin, 1984; Schaaf et al., 2005;
this study) lava flow, originated at the lowermost of the Ombligo-Xalipilcyatl flank vents, which formed a tephra cone less
than 30 m high and 100 m in diameter. It covers all the lower
slopes and eastern piedmont of Popocatpetl south of Santiago
Xalitzintla and San Nicols de los Ranchos. All of its primary
surface flow features are easily recognizable. The lava flow
varies in thickness from 20 to >100 m, and is over 20 km long.
Its emplacement modified the drainage pattern of Barranca La
Espinera (Panfil et al., 1999), deflecting it toward the northeast.
It covers the Calpan dissected fan deposits and the Las Cruces lava flows, as well as the lower Xalitzintla and Tianguismanalco lahars and the P2 pumice. It is covered by the P1 pumice and the Ceniza Negra, and also by the upper Xalitzintla and
Tecuanipan lahars. It is equivalent to Unit IIB of Robin (1984).
Panfil et al. (1999) assumed this lava flow was emplaced at
the end of the Plinian eruption here called P2, and therefore
provided an age estimate of ca. 2100 yr B.P. During this work,
no evidence for this relation was found, and we consider the
Nealtican flow as emplaced sometime between the P2 and P1
Plinian eruptions.
Ombligo-Xalipilcyatl Flank Vents. On the northeastern
flank of the main cone, a series of aligned vents are noticeable. Some are barely recognizable, while others are up to 50 m
high and 200 m in diameter (Fig. 10). The highest of the vents
112
Figure 8. Stratigraphic sections of the pyroclastic cover of the Fraile lava flows. It includes pumices P1, P2, P3, P4, Pumice with Andesite (PWA)
and the Black and White (B&W) pumices, and P7, P8, P9, and P10, and numerous interbedded pyroclastic flow and lahar deposits. The absence
of the Tochimilco pumice indicates that these lava slopes are younger than the collapse of Ventorrillo volcano.
is El Ombligo, while the lower ones form the head of Barranca

Xalipilcyatl. The flows emitted by these vents are morphologically identical to the Las Cruces lava flows and have not been
differentiated on the map. The vent of the Nealtican flow is also
part of this lineament.
Piedmont Volcanic Fans
Four different piedmont fans composed of volcaniclastic
deposits, with varying degrees of dissection were identified to
the west, northeast, southeast, and southwest of the volcano:
Calpan Dissected Volcanic Fan

The Calpan dissected volcanic fan is made up of two
types of deposits: The Mayorazgo avalanche deposit, probably formed by a sector collapse of Pies volcano (Nixon, 1989;
Siebe et al., 1995a; Capra et al., 2002), and the much younger
pyroclastic flows, lahars, and interbedded fall deposits that
form the fan proper. The latter were directed by a glacial valley that starts at the crater of Pies volcano at 3200 masl and is
cut into the Amacuilcatl lavas. The name is in reference to the
town of Calpan, located in the center of the proximal portion
of the fan.
Figure 9. Stratigraphic sections of the pyroclastic cover of the Las Cruces lava flows. Different fall and flow deposits associated with the youngest Plinian
eruptions, and pumices P1a, P1b, P1c, and P1d are shown. The Nealtican lava flow covers the P2 fall deposits, and is in turn covered by the P1 deposits.
114
Figure 10. Aerial view of the northeast flank of Popocatpetl showing

the Ombligo-Xalipilcyatl flank vents and associated lava flows. U.S.
Geological Survey photo by John W. Ewart.
Figure 11. Aerial view of the proximal

area of the Calpan dissected volcanic
fan, which consists mostly of ash-flow
deposits. The deep ravines that cut it are
over 200 m deep.
The fan surface is almost flat, with a slight radial inclination toward the east and southeast. It is dissected by a series
of very deep radial ravines <300 m wide and up to 200 m
deep (Fig. 11). The fan extends away from the mapped area
to the east, at least to the talweg of the Atoyac River at 2000
masl, where it merges with other piedmont fans coming from
Malinche volcano, forming the valley of Puebla. In the middle
portions, Cerro Tecajete and Cerro Zapotecas, heavily eroded
volcanic hills considered temporal equivalents of the Atlixco

volcanics, directed the emplacement of the fans deposits.
Toward the southeast, the morphology changes and the fan
consists of a series of tongue-shaped hills among the Atlixco
volcanics, while toward the east, the fan is mostly covered by
the Tecuanipan lahars.
The lithology of the Calpan dissected volcanic fan is made
up of a thick (>200 m) sequence of very fine-grained pyroclastic
flow and lahar deposits, with variable content of pumice and/

or lithic fragments, in layers several meters thick, interbedded
with lithic lapilli fall layers.
In the distal portions, near the Atoyac River to the east and
near Atlixco on the Nexapa River to the south, these deposits
overlie a thick avalanche deposit with jigsaw blocks, several
meters in diameter, in a gray matrix with red and black lithics
and occasional rounded pumice fragments. The best outcrops
of this avalanche are exposed along the Perifrico road where
it crosses the Atoyac River near the town of Mayorazgo, but
the avalanche morphology is better displayed around Atlixco,
forming a hummocky plain. Cerros Teotn and Texzitzi, on
the fan, as well as Cerros Techalotepec, Teolotitla, Santa Ins,
and Metepec, surrounded and almost covered by the Nealtican
lava flow, could be the largest hummocks of the Mayorazgo
avalanche deposit.
The Mayorazgo avalanche deposit overlies the Atlixco
volcanics. The pyroclastic flow deposits overlie the tephras of
volcanoes Tecajete and Zapotecas, and the uppermost layers
interfinger with the Tochimilco pumice. The B&W, PWA, P3,
P2, and P1 pumice deposits and the Ceniza Negra cover them
unconformably.
Tlayecac Volcanic Fan with Hummocks
This unit is an inclined fan-shaped slope directed southwest from the areas near Tetela and Hueyapan that extends
outside the mapped area. It is characterized by the presence
of many conical hills (hummocks) that in proximal areas
(between Tetela and Hueyapan) are up to 200 m high above
the surrounding general surface of the fan and have very steep
slopes. The hummocks become smaller with distance from the
volcano, so the distal portions have very little relief. Between
the hummocks, the fan is made up of smaller hills and is cut by
numerous very deep (>100 m) and narrow (>10 to <50 m) radial
ravines. Nevertheless, the interfluves have been little eroded.
The name of this unit is in reference to the Tlayecac
Formation, a lithostratigraphic unit proposed by Fries (1965) to
refer to the rocks that make up this unit and that have a distribution that coincides with that of the morphostratigraphic unit
proposed here. According to Fries (1965), the Tlayecac Formation consists of massive layers of clastic material originated
at Popocatpetl, made up of angular and subangular fragments
with diameters of over 1 meter, mixed up with similar, smaller
material, without any discernible layers.
The hummocks are formed by heterolithologic angular
blocks (many >10 m in diameter), which display typical jigsaw-fit structures. These hummocks were related by Robin
and Boudal (1987) to a Bezymianny-type eruption producing a debris avalanche deposit. Siebe et al. (1995a) identified
three different avalanche deposits in this area, and dated the
youngest at 22,00023,655 yr B.P. During the field work for
this study, only two deposits could be identified, the lower one
being much larger in both surface area and thickness. They are
separated by at least four pyroclastic flow deposits, the young-
115
est transformed into a paleosol. The two avalanches are considered here as two members of the Tlayecac Formation as defined
by Fries (1965) (Fig. 12). The avalanche deposits underlie the
Las Mesas lava flows near Tochimisolco, and several of the El
Fraile flows at the head of Barranca Hueyetlaquixtle.
At the proximal portion of the fan, a partially eroded mantle
of pumice deposits smoothes the original relief of the unit. The
Tochimilco Pumice is several meters thick around this town.
The pumice is covered by several meters of a yellowish brown,
very fine ash deposit with occasional pumice fragments. In the
distal portions, the fan is made up of laharic deposits named
Chalcatzingo-Jonacatepec fill. South from the mapped area,
the Tlayecac and Chalcatzingo-Jonacatepec deposits surround
and cover several hills of volcanic rocks of the Ixtlilco and Tepexco Groups (Fries, 1965) and other hills made of rocks of the
Mesozoic Sedimentary Ranges. The Chalcatzingo lahars were
traced along the Nexapa River as far as the Balsas River, over
100 km away.
Coyula Volcaniclastic Fan
This unit is a widespread piedmont fan that extends toward
the southeast of the volcano out of the study area. The heads
of this large fan are the Barrancas Quimichule, Acuitlapanoya,
and Cohuatlaltenco. On the southern slopes of Popocatpetl,
a very defined break in slope marks the uppermost reaches of
this fan, which in general slopes away with little inclination
toward the south. A few incipient ravines <20 m deep cut this
plain, while the interfluves have not been eroded at all. The
name refers to the town of Coyula, located at the center of the
unit. Few outcrops are found because of the low level of dissection, and those that exist are restricted to the uppermost layers.
Lithologically, it is made up of a series of ash-flow deposits,
lahars, block-and-ash flows, and interbedded fluvial deposits.
Some of these have been dated at 9640 440 yr B.P. (Boudal,
1985), 4650 100 yr B.P. (Martn-Del Pozzo et al., 1997), 4320
70 yr B.P. (Robin, 1984), and 3840 70 yr B.P. (Boudal and
Robin, 1988). The Tochimilco Pumice can also be identified
below the upper few meters. Underneath the pumice, a monolithologic block-and-ash flow deposit >5 m thick crops out near
the town of Santa Catarina.
At its head, the Coyula fan deposits almost completely
bury the San Pedro Benito Juarez and Metepec lava flows, from
which only the fronts are visible. To the south, the fan deposits
surrounded and covered several hills of Mesozoic rocks (Morelos and Mexcala Formations; Fries, 1965). They also overlie the
Atlixco volcanics and the Mayorazgo avalanche deposit.
Amecameca-Ozumba Coalescent Volcanic Fans
This name refers to a series of coalescent piedmont fans
located to the northwest and west of the volcano, which originate from the Barrancas Nexpayantla, Hueyatlaco, and Nexaltitle on Popocatpetls northwestern flank, and also from the
Alcalican and Milpulco Barrancas on the southwestern flank
of Iztacchuatl (Fig. 13). Incipient ravines cut these fans in the
Figure 12. Stratigraphic sections of the Tlayecac fan with hummocks. Two different avalanche deposits, separated by at least four different pyroclastic flow deposits (units 9 and 10),
the topmost altered to a paleosol, can be seen. The lower avalanche is thicker and more widespread than the upper one. The Tochimilco pumice covers the younger avalanche deposit.
Also, the Las Mesas lava flow covers the avalanche deposits.
117
Figure 13. Stratigraphic sections of the Xalitzintla fill, showing the relations between the different fall and flow deposits associated with the P1
and P2 eruptions, which make up the valley fill.
distal portions, but at their heads the ravines are several tens of
meters deep, with a very steep V section. The interfluves have
not been eroded. Outcrops are scarce, since even the inner slopes
of the ravines are densely vegetated.
Lithologically, the fans are made up of a series of lahar
deposits and several yellowish brown, fine-grained ash flows
with dispersed pumice fragments and occasional small charcoal
fragments (4500 100 yr B.P., this study). Their presence shows
the high temperature of emplacement, although the morphology
of the deposits suggests high mobility and therefore the presence

of water.
At all the studied outcrops, these ash flows lie conformably
above the PWA and B&W pumice deposits, which in turn cover
other laharic and pyroclastic flow deposits. The tephras of Sacromonte, Cuistepec, and Tepeixtle volcanoes (Chichinautzin
Formation) are interbedded with the fan deposits. To the south,
this unit overlies the El Malpas lava flow, while at their
heads, the deposits overlie the Amacuilcatl, Nexpayantla, and
118
Ventorrillo lavas. Near Ecatzingo, they overlie blast deposits

associated with the Upper Tlayecac avalanche deposit (Siebe et
al., 1997).
Tongues of Volcaniclastic Deposits Filling Valleys and/or
Forming Terraces
Five tongue-like volcaniclastic deposits infilling valleys
surrounding the volcano or as terraces along their sides were
also mapped.
Chalcatzingo-Jonacatepec Fill
At its distal portions, the original relief of the Tlayecac
hummocky fan is smoothed by a fill, several meters thick, of
laharic deposits, probably associated with remobilization of the
avalanche material. These were described (but left unnamed)
by Fries (1965) as clastic deposits of volcanic material, which
cover eroded surfaces on the Tlayecac Formation. The proposed type locality is near the Cuautla-Izcar de Matamoros
road, where it passes near the Tertiary granodioritic intrusions
at the town of Chalcatzingo.
Ro Atila Terraces
In the deep canyon excavated by the Atila River at the contact between the Tlayecac avalanches and the Las Mesas lava
flow, a series of terraces can be seen in aerial photos from the
canyon head at Barranca Mataleones down to near Tochimisolco. The terraces are located just below the edge of the canyon
and are up to 200 m wide and only a few tens of meters thick.
The canyon is nearly 100 m deep. They are made up of lahars of
subrounded to subangular andesitic-dacitic lithics, in a matrix
of finer similar material. Between Tulcingo and Santiago Atzitzihuacn, the same deposits build two different small fans
where the deep barranca emerges into flatter ground among the
Tlayecac hummocks. The fans are each 1 km wide and 3 km
long. These laharic deposits overlie both the Upper Tlayecac
avalanche deposit (with its pyroclastic mantle of Tochimilco
pumice) and the Las Mesas lava flow. Although they do not
show an identifiable pyroclastic cover, the depth of erosion after
their emplacement shows that they are relatively old.
Hueyetlaquixtle Fill
The bottom of Barranca Hueyetlaquixtle, a deep canyon cut
into the Tlayecac avalanche deposits between the hummocks, is
filled with thick laharic and fluvial deposits that form the relatively flat bottom of the valley. Although they are not covered by
any recognizable pumice layer, they have developed a soil that
sustains intensive agriculture and does contain pumice clasts of
probable P1 or P2 origin. They overlie unconformably the Upper
Tlayecac avalanche deposit, but are of much younger age.
Xalitzintla Fill
The Espinera valley, which drains the northern (glaciated)
slopes of Popocatpetl, is developed mostly along the contact
between the Las Cruces lava flows and the Calpan fan. The bottom of the valley, starting at 3500 masl, is filled to overflow (filling also the next valley to the north) by laharic deposits, producing an almost flat slope inclined to the east and cut by several
narrow parallel ravines <10 m deep. This surface is limited to the
south by the fronts of the Las Cruces and Nealtican lava flows,
and to the north by a scarp eroded into the Calpan deposits. The
fill consists of lahars and pink pyroclastic flows, which include
scoria clasts, interbedded with several pumice fall and surge
deposits associated with the P1 and P2 pumice deposits in this
proximal area (Table 1; Fig. 13). They extend to the northeast
of Santiago Xalitzintla, and overlie the Nexpayantla, Ventorrillo,
and Las Cruces lava flows, the Tlamacaz dome, and the Calpan
fan deposits. They are morphologically indistinguishable beyond
San Nicols de los Ranchos, where the deposits are covered by
the Nealtican lava flow. More recent lahars continued eastward
forming small terraces along Barranca Tlaltorre.
Tianguismanalco Terraces
A series of terraces extends along the flanks of Barranca
Metepec, from the area north of the town of Tianguismanalco,
where they are covered by the Nealtican lava flow, to the outskirts
of Atlixco. The barranca is excavated in the pyroclastic flows and
lahars of the Calpan fan and is nearly 500 m wide. Inside are a
series of terraces 3050 m below the edge, which were formed
by lahars, below which a 50-m-wide and -deep ravine has been
excavated.
The terraces are made up of several beds of lahar deposits of
subrounded to subangular andesitic-dacitic fragments that vary
in size, angularity, and proportion of the matrix. These deposits
are considered to be the distal equivalents of the lower lahars of
the Xalitzintla fill (related to the P2 eruption), and were emplaced
before the Nealtican lava flow, which buried the old channel and
deflected the drainage of the Espinera valley eastward. They are
covered by thin deposits of Ceniza Negra, and overlie unconformably the pyroclastic flows of the Calpan fan and the Mayorazgo avalanche deposit.
Yancuitlalpan Lake Deposits
Near the town of Yancuitlalpan, a few meters of lake deposits were identified by Panfil et al. (1999), who called them the
San Nicols deposits. They are associated with the closure of the
Xalitzintla-Tianguismanalco valley by the emplacement of the
Nealtican lava flow. They form a small plain between the towns
of Yancuitlalpan and San Nicols de los Ranchos.
Tecuanipan Terraces
A series of small discontinuous terraces and leves along
arroyo Nexapa, from San Nicols de los Ranchos to near Santa
Isabel Cholula, which are 510 m above the stream and 12 m
above the general level of the plain, consists of laharic deposits of
subangular to subrounded andesitic-dacitic fragments in a matrix
of smaller similar fragments. The base of the deposit interfingers
and covers pumice P1. They are considered equivalents of the
upper portion of the Xalitzintla lahars (related to the P1 eruption),

emplaced after the Nealtican lava flow had diverted the Espinera
drainage into this valley. They overlie the Calpan fan deposits
between San Buenaventura Nealtican and Santa Isabel Cholula,
and the Nealtican lava flows at Barranca Tlaltorre southeast of
San Nicols de los Ranchos.
Siebe et al. (1996a, 1996b) identified overbank lahar deposits of similar age, originating from Barranca Alseseca and
Caada Grande and other valleys cut into the Calpan fan, and
also near the town of Chiautzingo, which reach as far as the city
of Cholula. They are a product of the remobilization of the P1
deposits on the eastern slope of Iztacchuatl, and cover the distal
portions of the Calpan fan, including most of the outcrop area of
the Mayorazgo avalanche.
Mantle of Pyroclastic Deposits
Although several layers of pyroclastic deposits have been
identified (Table 1; Fig. 3), only the youngest has an expression
on the existing relief of Popocatpetl:
119
Nexcoalango Valleys and Cirques

On the western flank of Iztacchuatl, outside the mapped area,
White (1962a, 1962b) identified a series of deep U-shaped valleys called Barrancas Cosa Mala, El Negro, Chopanac, Milpulco,
and Alcalican, which he considered carved by the Nexcoalango
glaciation (ca. 196 ka; Vzquez-Selem, 2001; Vzquez-Selem
and Heine, 2004). On the eastern flank of the same mountain,
Nixon (1989) also mentioned Barrancas Tlatzala and Pipinahuac
as having the same origin. On the flanks of Popocatpetl, two
valleys of similar morphology, Barrancas Hueyatlaco and Nexpayantla, are located on the northwestern flank. The latter starts
at the cirques that mark the north face of Ventorrillo, and contains
a narrow ravine cut by the postglacial stream (Fig. 14). The U
section of the valleys is up to 1 km wide and 200300 m deep
(not counting the bottom ravine, which is up to 100 m deep by
itself). These valleys are cut into the Nexpayantla and Ventorrillo
lava flows and the domes and dikes that intrude the Nexpayantla
flows, but do not affect the younger Ventorrillo lava flows.
Ceniza Negra
The summit cone is covered with a conspicuous mantle
made up of several meters of dark-colored lapilli and ash
deposits. Above the vegetation limit, this deposit has been
reworked by the action of strong winds, to the degree of forming dune-like shapes. In some places it displays the effects of
periglacial conditions, with the formation of large solifluction
lobes on the western flank and small, short-lived ravines on the
northeast flank.
Although this mantle covers almost every nonvertical rock
surface on the upper cone and the Ventorrillo peak, it is absent
from the fronts of the glacier down to 4500 masl on the north
flank, as well as from the western and southwestern flanks
down to 4600 masl. Palacios (1996) considers this to be the
result of glacial cover during the Ceniza Negra eruption.
Lithologically, the Ceniza Negra consists of thick deposits of dark gray to black lapilli and ash, with occasional pumice fragments incorporated from the P1 deposit immediately
below. It covers most of the lava flows and other deposits
described previously, but is only covered by the small deposits
related to historic eruptions.
Glacial Forms
Glacial morphology was interpreted from the aerial photos. It includes several large U-shaped valleys radiating from
the northwest sector of the volcano, moraines at the base of
the northern and western flanks of the main cone, and glacial
cirques cutting across the lava flows of both Ventorrillo peak
and the upper parts of the main cone. These valleys were correlated with similar forms mapped by White for nearby Iztacchuatl (1956, 1962a, 1962b, 1987) and dated by Vzquez-Selem
(2001) and Vzquez-Selem and Heine (2004).
Figure 14. U-shaped valley of Barranca Nexpayantla, carved in the

Nexpayantla and Ventorrillo lavas. The rocky ridges on the right slope
are dikes that intruded the Nexpayantla lavas but not the overlying
Ventorrillo lavas. Photo by Suzanne M. Straub.
120
Hueyatlaco Cirques and Moraines

A series of thin, long ridges located at the bottom of the
valley immediately south of Cerro Tlalpizatpetl was interpreted from aerial photos to be lateral and frontal moraines
from a couple of glacier lobes that originated from the western
and northwestern slopes of Popocatpetl. Because of similar
morphology and altitude range, these could be correlated with
the Hueyatlaco moraines described by White (1962a, 1962b)
on Iztacchuatl (20,00014,000 yr B.P.; Vzquez-Selem, 2001;
Vzquez-Selem and Heine, 2004). Unfortunately, the identity
of these deposits on Popocatpetl could not be confirmed in the
field due to access problems and scarce outcrops, since thick
laharic and/or pyroclastic deposits that are absent on Iztacchuatl
cover them. Their identification is therefore only tentative and
based exclusively on their morphology in aerial photos.
The Hueyatlaco moraines cover the El Fraile lava flows.
On Iztacchuatl, White (1962a, 1962b) identified two advances,
which according to recent dating by Vzquez-Selem (2001)
occurred before and immediately after the deposition of the
B&W and PWA deposits. In addition, at the bottom of Barranca Nexpayantla are two similar but less extensive moraines.
White (1981) also identified moraine deposits along Barranca
La Espinera to the northeast of the main cone, but the lahars and
other younger deposits that cover them obscure their morphology.
The glacial cirques that cut the Ventorrillo and El Fraile lava
flows were eroded mostly during this glacial advance (although
they have been further modified by younger glacial advances).
They are subrounded cirques >400 m in diameter (Fig. 15).
present-day glaciers are in rapid retreat due to global warming

as well as to the present eruptive activity.
Evolution of the Volcano
Popocatpetls eruptive history and geomorphic evolution
have been interpreted through the identification of morphostratigraphic units and their characterization and lithologic identification in the field.
Nexpayantla volcano grew by the emplacement of many
andesitic-dacitic lava flows and large dacitic domes. Nexpayantla volcano was affected by the Nexcoalango glaciation ca. 196
ka (Vzquez-Selem, 2001; Vzquez-Selem and Heine, 2004),
which eroded the U-shaped valleys of Barranca Hueyatlaco and
Barranca Nexpayantla. Circa 36,000 yr B.P. (Robin and Boudal,
1987), Nexpayantla volcano collapsed to the southeast, generating the Tlamacaz scarp and the Lower Tlayecac avalanche
deposit. Of similar age is the Mayorazgo avalanche deposit,
which forms the lower deposit of the dissected Calpan volcanic
fan between Atlixco and the city of Puebla. It originated from the
collapse of Pies volcano (belonging to the Iztacchuatl complex
to the north of Popocatpetl).
Milpulco Moraines
On the higher slopes of Popocatpetl, surrounding the
main cone, a series of small elongated ridges <10 m in height
and almost completely buried by the Ceniza Negra deposits,
was identified as Milpulco moraines due to the similarity in
shape and altitude range with those identified by White (1962a,
1962b) at Iztacchuatl (12,0007400 yr B.P.; Vzquez-Selem,
2001; Vzquez-Selem and Heine, 2004). Their small size made
their recognition in the field particularly difficult, since the P1,
P2, and P3 pumices and the Ceniza Negra cover them. They
overlie the El Fraile and Las Cruces lava flows. Due to their
small size, they were not mapped.
Ayoloco Moraines
On the northern and western flanks of the summit cone,
as well as on the northern flank of Ventorrillo, a group of
conspicuous crests, 2040 m high, almost completely buried
by the Ceniza Negra deposits (Fig. 7), was considered to be
large moraines, due to their morphology. Because of their size
and altitude range, they can be correlated with the Ayoloco
moraines described by White (1962a, 1962b) at Iztacchuatl,
and therefore would have been formed during the maximum
advance of the Little Ice Age (younger than 1000 yr B.P.;
Vzquez-Selem, 2001; Vzquez-Selem and Heine, 2004). The
Figure 15. Glacial cirques and moraines on the northern flank of

Ventorrillo, head of the Barranca Nexpayantla. Photo by Suzanne
M. Straub.
Ventorrillo volcano was formed on the remains of Nexpayantla through the emplacement of andesitic-dacitic lava flows,
which surrounded the previous domes and covered most of the
Nexpayantla flows. Meanwhile, Pies volcano on Iztacchuatl produced many pyroclastic flow deposits that were directed into a
glacial valley, forming the upper Calpan dissected volcanic fan.
Ventorrillo volcano collapsed to the southwest between
22,000 and 23,655 yr B.P. (Siebe et al., 1995a) and generated the
Upper Tlayecac avalanche deposit. This collapse was followed
by a Plinian eruption that deposited the Tochimilco pumice to the
south, an excellent stratigraphic marker horizon. The remobilization of the Upper Tlayecac avalanche deposit generated numerous lahars and interbedded fluvial deposits of the ChalcatzingoJonacatepec fill, which cover most of the area to the southwest of
the volcano. These lahars followed the Nexapa River valley and
reached the Balsas River >100 km to the south. Glacial morphology of this age suggests that the origin of the lahars was associated with melting of the glacier.
The presently active cone grew through the emplacement of
numerous andesitic-dacitic lava flows, mapped as El Fraile lava
flows. These lavas form most of the volcanos edifice to the west
and southwest of the crater, as well as the lavas visible below a
marked angular unconformity in the crater walls. El Fraile lavas
were eroded during the Hueyatlaco glacial advances (14,000
20,000 yr B.P.; Vzquez-Selem, 2001; Vzquez-Selem and
Heine, 2004). Four other lava flows of similar age were mapped
separately, the El Malpas, Las Mesas, Metepec, and San Pedro
Benito Juarez flows.
The emplacement of the El Fraile flows was accompanied
by flank activity on the southwestern flank of the cone, resulting
in the formation of the Ecatzingo adventitious cones and related
lava flows. They are mostly older than the B&W and PWA eruption, since they are covered by them, with the exception of the
Chipiquixtle cone, the highest vent in this group, which is much
younger. Four undated Plinian eruptions left pumice deposits
interbedded with the El Fraile and Ecatzingo lava flows.
The B&W and PWA deposits were generated by a large
Plinian eruption. The sequence begins with the Black and White
pumice, which is a series of thin layers of white pumice and intercalated layers of dark-gray lithic lapilli and ash, and is followed
by the three layers of pumice with large angular clasts of andesite, dacite, and green schist, which form the Pumice with Andesite (12,86014,620 yr B.P.; Lorenzo and Mirambell, 1986). This
pumice layer was renamed Tutti Frutti by Siebe et al. (1995b,
1997) and its remobilization led to the generation of extensive
lahar deposits (Siebe et al., 1999).
The Las Cruces lava flows were emplaced after the B&W
and PWA eruption from the craters edge and/or from a series
of flank vents aligned to the northeast (Ombligo-Xalipilcyatl
vents). They form most of the northeastern and eastern flanks of
the main cone, and show little evidence of having been eroded
glacially. Four individual adventitious cones and lava flows
of similar age were also mapped separately: the Quimichule,
Buenavista, Atlimiyaya, and Nealtican lava flows.
121
The Coyula coalescing volcanic fan, southeast of the main

cone, was formed by pyroclastic flows and lahars, mostly younger
than the B&W and PWA eruption. They form an almost flat, featureless plain with very little dissection.
Several pyroclastic flows and lahars formed the Amecameca-Ozumba coalescing volcanic fan, which flowed through
the glacial barrancas of Nexpayantla and Hueyatlaco, excavated
in the older volcanoes. These deposits are interbedded with the
B&W and PWA pumices, but the youngest deposits are around
4500 yr old.
Two Plinian eruptions, one dated at 9640 440 yr B.P.
(Robin, 1984) and the other at 4805 604965 65 yr B.P.
(Heine and Heide-Weise, 1973; Siebe et al., 1996a), P3 and P4
in this work, left deposits interbedded with the Las Cruces lava
flows. This last eruption (P3) might be related to several pyroclastic flows of similar age found at Barranca Seca and in the
Coyula fan (Table 1).
The youngest Plinian eruptions impacted the morphology of
the northeastern and eastern sector of the volcano, mainly through
the emplacement of numerous lahars along Barranca La Espinera.
The P2 eruption (1825 1752150 80 yr B.P.) emplaced thick
pumice deposits on the northern and eastern flanks of the volcano
(Siebe et al., 1996b; Plunket and Uruuela, 1998) and several
lahars that traveled south toward Tianguismanalco, where they
formed terraces.
The youngest effusive eruption occurred through a flank
vent and produced the Nealtican lava flow, which blocked the
drainage to the south and generated a lake where the Yancuitlalpan lacustrine deposits accumulated.
The P1 eruption generated thick pumice deposits and several pyroclastic flows and lahars down Barranca La Espinera,
depositing the upper Xalitzintla fill. The lahars were deflected
to the east by the Nealtican lavas, reaching and partially filling
the Tecuanipan valley. The origin of these lahars may have been
related to the partial melting of the glaciers from the Ayoloco glacial advance. Other lahars of similar age, generated from remobilization of the P1 deposits, accumulated on Iztacchuatls slopes.
They were directed by the barrancas eroded into the Calpan dissected volcanic fan, and reached as far as the city of Cholula
(Siebe et al., 1996a, 1996b).
The latest prehistoric geomorphic changes are due to the
eruption of the Ceniza Negra, which covered most of the upper
cone with up to 5 m of dark lapilli and ash. These deposits are
notoriously absent from the areas of the cone surrounding the
present-day glaciers on the north flank and the upper slopes of
the western flank, which were probably covered by the retreating
glaciers during the Ceniza Negra eruption.
The ongoing present eruptive episode at Popocatpetl has
resulted in the emplacement of subsequent lava domes inside the
crater, which have filled the crater up to 50 m below the eastern rim (Macas and Siebe, 2005). Partial explosive clearing of
these domes, as well as new ascent of small batches of magma,
has produced limited fallout deposits in nearby areas (Straub and
Martn-Del Pozzo, 2001), and small lahars along Barranca La
122
Espinera, caused by melting of the glacier (Palacios et al., 2001;

Capra et al., 2003).
CONCLUSIONS
Morphostratigraphic criteria proved helpful in complementing geological sections. Popocatpetl volcano has had a relatively
complex history and is the result of the growth and collapse of
two previous volcanoes, Nexpayantla and Ventorrillo. Their lava
flows and resulting debris avalanches (Tlayecac) were mapped
along with the resulting Chalcatzingo-Jonacatepec fill. Of similar
age is the Calpan fan on the northeast that originated from the
Iztacchuatl volcanic complex.
The modern cone of Popocatpetl was built by the emplacement of many andesitic and dacitic lava flows interstratified with
the products of large Plinian eruptions. Ten Plinian eruptions
have been identified and six dated. The largest of these eruptions
occurred between 12,860 and 14,620 yr B.P., and resulted in the
emplacement of the B&W and PWA pumice deposits, a stratigraphic marker horizon on the northwestern sector of the volcano
and beyond (Siebe et al., 2004, 2005). Modern cone lava flows
older than the B&W and PWA eruption were mapped as eroded
or covered lava slopes (Malpas, Las Mesas, Metepec, and San
Pedro Benito Juarez lava flows) and glaciated lava slopes (Fraile
lava flows), while those younger were mapped as nonglaciated
lava slopes with marked features, both from the central vent
and from flank eruptions (Las Cruces, Buenavista, Quimichule,
Atlimiyaya, Chiquipixle, and Nealtican lava flows).
The younger Plinian eruptions resulted in the emplacement
of mantles of pumice deposits and multiple pyroclastic flows and
lahars. Those associated with the P3 (4965 654805 + 60 yr
B.P.) produced the Amecameca-Ozumba coalescing volcanic
fans to the west, and deposits of similar lithology and age are
part of the Coyula complex fan to the southeast. The lahars and
pyroclastic flows associated with the eruptions of the P2 (2150
801825 175 yr B.P.) were mostly emplaced along Barranca La Espinera and followed the drainage to the south toward
Tianguismanalco. The subsequent emplacement of the Nealtican
lava flow blocked this drainage, creating the Yancuitlalpan lake
deposits, and later deflected the emplacement of the lahars associated with the P1 eruption (1290 80855 55 yr B.P.) toward
Tecuanipan to the east.
The latest prehistoric geomorphic changes were produced
by the eruption of the Ceniza Negra, which covered most of the
upper cone with several meters of dark lapilli and ash. The ongoing eruptive episode at Popocatpetl has been similar to other
historic eruptions, with the emplacement of lava domes inside the
crater, and their destruction during explosive eruptions, which
have caused small deposits in nearby areas, and small lahars
along Barranca La Espinera caused by resulting melting of the
glacier (Sheridan et al., 2001; Capra et al., 2003).
Four large volcaniclastic fans and five valley fill deposits
form the volcanos piedmont and have resulted from the successive emplacement of pyroclastic flows, lahars, and fluvial
deposits along several gullies that mark the lower slopes of the
volcano. Glacier melting coincident with several of the Plinian
eruptions could have been responsible for some of the extensive
lahar deposits.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Direccin General de Actividades del Personal Acadmico,
Universidad Nacional Autnoma de Mxico, funded the Programa de Apoyo a Programas de Investigacin e Innovacin
Tecnolgica project for this work. The authors thank Fernando
Aceves and Ruth Diamant for assistance in the field, and Fabiola
Mendiola for assisting in the editing of the figures. This paper has
been much improved by the comments of Fraser Goff, Jos Luis
Macas, Claus Siebe, and an anonymous reviewer.
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Manuscript Accepted by the Society 28 July 2005
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Geological Society of America

Special Paper 402

Morphostratigraphic evolution of Popocatpetl volcano, Mxico

E-mails: ramone@geofisica.unam.mx; analil@geofisica.unam.mx.

Espinasa-Perea and Martn-Del Pozzo

of preservation of the original landforms, and amount of soil

Figure 1. Popocatpetl is located in the

Figure 2. Morphostratigraphic map of Popocatpetl volcano and surrounding areas.

Espinasa-Perea and Martn-Del Pozzo

by the name Ventorrillo, is called Pico del Fraile on the INEGI

Black and White

Pumice with andesite

TABLE 1. CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHIC TEPHRA MARKERS OF POPOCATPETL VOLCANO

Heine and Heide-Weise (1973)

Heine and Heide-Weise (1973);

Figure 3. Stratigraphic relations for Popocatpetl volcano and surrounding areas.

Morphostratigraphic evolution of Popocatpetl volcano, Mxico

U-shaped valley shows an unconformity between the lavas

Espinasa-Perea and Martn-Del Pozzo

Figure 5. Aerial view of Popocatpetls

edges of the caldera are now covered by the modern cone.

Slightly Eroded and/or Covered Lava Slopes

Espinasa-Perea and Martn-Del Pozzo

Las Mesas Lava Flows. A group of older lava slopes can

Figure 7. Western cirques of Popocatpetl carved on the El Fraile lava flows

Morphostratigraphic evolution of Popocatpetl volcano, Mxico

The dacitic (63%65% SiO2; Boudal and Robin, 1988)

Espinasa-Perea and Martn-Del Pozzo

is El Ombligo, while the lower ones form the head of Barranca

Calpan Dissected Volcanic Fan

Espinasa-Perea and Martn-Del Pozzo

Figure 10. Aerial view of the northeast flank of Popocatpetl showing

Figure 11. Aerial view of the proximal

volcanic hills considered temporal equivalents of the Atlixco

Morphostratigraphic evolution of Popocatpetl volcano, Mxico

flow and lahar deposits, with variable content of pumice and/

Morphostratigraphic evolution of Popocatpetl volcano, Mxico

of the deposits suggests high mobility and therefore the presence

Espinasa-Perea and Martn-Del Pozzo

Ventorrillo lavas. Near Ecatzingo, they overlie blast deposits

Morphostratigraphic evolution of Popocatpetl volcano, Mxico

upper portion of the Xalitzintla lahars (related to the P1 eruption),

Nexcoalango Valleys and Cirques

Figure 14. U-shaped valley of Barranca Nexpayantla, carved in the

Espinasa-Perea and Martn-Del Pozzo

Hueyatlaco Cirques and Moraines

present-day glaciers are in rapid retreat due to global warming

Figure 15. Glacial cirques and moraines on the northern flank of

Morphostratigraphic evolution of Popocatpetl volcano, Mxico

The Coyula coalescing volcanic fan, southeast of the main

Espinasa-Perea and Martn-Del Pozzo

Espinera, caused by melting of the glacier (Palacios et al., 2001;

Morphostratigraphic evolution of Popocatpetl volcano, Mxico

INEGI (Instituto Nacional de Estadstica, Geografa e Informtica), 1995,

petl and surrounding monogenetic volcanoes, central Mexico: Journal of

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