The 17 July 1999 block-and-ash flow (BAF) at Colima Volcano: New insights on volcanic granular flows from textural analysis

On July 17 1999, a strong explosion occurred at Colima Volcano (Mexico) that produced a 10 km high eruptive column. The partial column collapse originated a block-and-ash flow (BAF) that flowed to the south, along the San Antonio and Montegrande ravines, travelling 3.3 km from the volcano summit. The flow filled the ravines with a volume estimated at 7.9 × 105 m3. The erosion of these deposits occurred between 1999 and 2002 (time of sampling), providing excellent longitudinal outcrops that allowed their detailed textural study. The study was carried out by means of quantitative textural analysis: (1) Rosiwal intersections, for carrying out vertical granulometric profiles; (2) total grain-size analysis, from − 11 to + 9 ϕ; and (3) Fourier and fractal analysis of the particle morphology. Grain size and morphometric parameters obtained with these methods were used to identify vertical and longitudinal variation patterns in the BAF deposit. The grain size variations allowed to infer the main particle segregation mechanisms that acted during transport and deposition of the studied BAFs. The two methods used for studying the particle shape morphologies yielded results with different accuracy and reliability. In particular, fractal analyses have been found to be the most effective in describing the particle support mechanisms that acted during transport and deposition of the studied BAFs. sults highlight the importance of the information obtained by means of these techniques, and provide new insights in transportation and deposition mechanisms of BAFs.