Geomorphology, lithofacies, and block characteristics to determine the origin, and mobility, of a debris avalanche deposit at Apacheta-Aguilucho Volcanic Complex (AAVC), northern Chile

Abstract

Understanding the evolution of a volcanic edifice is important in establishing its associated geological hazards. Apacheta and Aguilucho volcanoes, northern Chile, formed a volcanic complex with known fumaroles and geo-thermal potential. Among the products resulting from the evolution of the Apacheta-Aguilucho Volcanic Complex (AAVC), a new volcanoclastic deposit has been recognized towards the eastern flank of the volcanic complex. This deposit is constituted by fragments of andesitic-to-dacitic lava and hydrothermally altered lava blocks. These fragments, which reach up to 5 m in diameter, form geomorphological structures such as hummocks, levees and ridges. Using these geomorphological characteristics, the distribution of the main lithological fades (or lithofacies), and fragment features (jigsaw cracks and impact marks), we proposed that this deposit was generated by a debris avalanche. This debris avalanche was triggered by partial collapse of an ancestral volcanic edifice occurred between 100 and 7001 a. The collapse of the AAVC ancestral edifice was influenced by hydrothermal alteration and the extensional tectonic setting that characterize the Cerro Pabellon Dome area. The mobility of the avalanche, and the genesis of the main geomorphological features associated with the deposit, are related to fragmentation of material during avalanche genesis and movement.