Durango Volcanic Field

Volcanic field in Mexico

Key Facts

Elevation

2,075 m (6,808 ft)

Type

Volcanic field

Location

24.150°, -104.450°

Region

Basin and Range Volcanic Province

Rock Type

Trachybasalt / Tephrite Basanite

Tectonic Setting

Subduction zone

Location

Loading map...

Overview

The broad Durango volcanic field covers 2,100 km2 at the NW corner of the Meseta Central near the eastern edge of the Sierra Madre Occidental of north-central México. The expansive undissected lava plain lies within the Mexican Basin and Range province and is NE of the city of Durango. The field includes about 100 Quaternary basanitic cinder and lava cones as well as several xenolith localities.

La Breña-El Jagüey maar complex consists of two intersecting maars, the largest of which (La Breña) contains a series of nested cinder cones. The maar complex is one of the youngest eruptive centers and was considered by Aranda-Gómez et al. (1992) to be only a few thousand years old.

Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment

Primary Hazards

Risk Level

Population at RiskModerate

Infrastructure RiskModerate

Aviation RiskSignificant

Geological Composition & Structure

Rock Types

Primary

Trachybasalt / Tephrite Basanite

Silica Content

Varied composition

Tectonic Setting

Subduction zone

Formed by oceanic plate subduction, typically producing explosive eruptions due to water-rich magmas.

Age & Formation

Epoch

Holocene

Evidence

Evidence Credible

Eruption Statistics & Analysis

Metric	Value	Global Ranking	Significance
Total Recorded Eruptions	Unknown	Low	Moderately active volcano
Maximum VEI	VEI Unknown	Minor	Local impact potential
Recent Activity	Unknown	Historical	Historically active

Monitoring & Alert Status

Monitoring Networks

Global Volcanism Program

International eruption database

Current Status

Normal

No recent activity. Routine monitoring continues.

Nearby Volcanoes in North America Volcanic Regions

Regional Volcanic Activity

The North America Volcanic Regions contains multiple active volcanic systems. Cross-regional magma interactions and tectonic stresses can influence eruption patterns across the entire arc. Monitor regional seismic activity and volcanic alerts.

Quick Info

•Smithsonian ID: 341022
•Evidence: Evidence Credible
•Epoch: Holocene

About the Photo

The Durango Volcanic Field covers 2,100 km2 at the eastern edge of the Sierra Madre Occidental (background) of north-central México. The broad lava plain contains about 100 Quaternary scoria cones and several important peridotite and granulite xenolith localities. The La Breña-El Jagüey maar complex, two of the youngest features of the field, are seen here from the ENE at the summit of Cerro Pelón scoria cone.

Photo by Jim Luhr, 1988 (Smithsonian Institution).