An 1859 German map of the field. |
Monogenetic volcanic fields can provide snapshots of the underlying region beneath the surface, and may be useful in studying the generation of magma and the composition of the mantle since the single eruption produced would match that of the chamber from which it erupted.
Examples of monogenetic volcanic fields:
- Auckland volcanic field, underlying much of the city of Auckland, New Zealand and its suburbs
- Wells Gray-Clearwater volcanic field, east-central British Columbia, Canada.
- Parícutin, Michoacán, Mexico
- El Jorullo, Mexico
- Vulkan Eifel, Germany
- Carrán-Los Venados, Chile
Canim Falls and lava flows |
The volcano began as a fissure in a cornfield owned by a P'urhépecha farmer, Dionisio Pulido, on February 20, 1943. Pulido, his wife, and their son all witnessed the initial eruption of ash and stones first-hand as they plowed the field. The volcano grew quickly, reaching five stories tall in just a week, and it could be seen from afar in a month. Much of the volcano's growth occurred during its first year, while it was still in the explosive pyroclastic phase. Nearby villages Paricutín (after which the volcano was named) and San Juan Parangaricutiro were both buried in lava and ash; the residents relocated to vacant land nearby.
Parícutin from Las Cabañas |
Volcanism is a common part of the Mexican landscape. Parícutin is merely the youngest of more than 1,400 volcanic vents that exist in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt and North America. The volcano is unique in the fact that its formation was witnessed from its very inception. Three people died as a result of lightning strikes caused by the eruptions, but no deaths were attributed to the lava or asphyxiation.
Shots of the volcano during its active phase were included in 20th Century Fox's film Captain from Castile, released in 1947.