Nin Hernández, Giovanni G.

Profile Picture

Filters

20201
Reset filters

Settings

Citations

Publication Search Results

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    Study of the evolution of a lava flow field using ASTER, OLI and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle imagery: the 2013-2017 lava flows from the Santiaguito Dome Complex, Guatemala
    (2020-05-28) Nin Hernández, Giovanni G.; Rodríguez Iglesias, Lizzette; College of Arts and Sciences - Sciences; Gilbes Santaella, Fernando; Harris, Andrew; Department of Geology; Morales Payán, José P.
    A new lava field was emplaced in Santiaguito between May 2014 and February 2015, with an average volume of 8.8 x 106 m3 and a 3.24 km long dacitic lava flow. This was a perfect opportunity to describe and analyze its dimensional and thermal parameters using remote sensing techniques. In order to have a full perspective of the activity and the flow characteristics, 12 images from Terra-ASTER and Landsat 8-OLI/TIRS were analyzed for the period between 2013 and 2017, in conjunction with aerial images taken during four field campaigns. According to the results obtained, at the beginning of 2013 three lava flows were active on the southwest, south, southeast and east side of the El Caliente vent, while only two remained active (southeast and southwest flanks) at the end of the year. A dacitic blocky flow began to descend on the southeast part of the dome on May 9, 2014, after one of the largest eruptive events of the past decades. By December 30, 2014 this lava flow continued its slow movement on two different fronts, on Nima 1 and Cabello de Angel drainages. This flow reached its maximum length of 3.24 km between January 31 and February 24, 2015. Surface temperatures calculated for this flow had a range between 135 °C and 31 °C and an advance rate of 1.3-19.1 m/day during the time of emplacement, which is consistent with a whole lava flow viscosity estimate of 2.0-61.0 x 109 Pa s. A thick surface estimated at 1.0-5.1 meters, a relatively cold temperature and a core cooling rate in the range of 0.02-0.07 °C/h, caused that this lava emplacement advanced a maximum of 3.24 km in 8 months. In comparison with previous work, the effusion rate calculated for the study period (1.01-1.61 m3/s) shows a significant increase, probably indicating that the dome complex entered in a new cycle of activity between 2014-2015.