Seismicity Associated to a Shield Volcano in a Monogenetic Volcanic Field: The Case of San Martin Tuxtla Volcano, Veracruz, Mexico
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Abstract
San Martin Tuxtla is a basaltic shield volcano (SMTV) rising in the Los Tuxtlas volcanic field (LTVF), Veracruz, Mexico. The volcano had explosive eruptions in 1793 and presumably in 1664 without showing any felt premonitory activity. The 1793 eruption, in particular, consisted of strong Strombolian phases that dispersed a large amount of ash, causing panic among the region's inhabitants. Despite these precedents, no current monitoring of the volcano is carried out. In this work, we present the results of the analyses of seismic records from three broadband seismic stations deployed around San Martin Tuxtla from 2007 to 2013. These results provide background information on the current seismicity associated to the volcano. About 60 microearthquakes were recorded clearly, with magnitudes between 0.2 and 2.4. Twenty-five of the mentioned events were relocated using the double difference method to improve their location, with nine suitable for yielding focal mechanisms through S phase fitting. The data from the SSN and the characteristics of nine moderate earthquakes with foci in the vicinity of the LTVF are included as background information on the region's seismicity. The results should be helpful as a background to help plan the monitoring of the San Martin Tuxtla volcano and compare any future seismic activity associated with the volcano.
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