The Ilopango Tierra Blanca Joven (TBJ) eruption, El Salvador: Volcano-stratigraphy and physical characterization of the major Holocene event of Central America

Abstract

Abstract The Ilopango caldera is the source of the large Tierra Blanca Joven (TBJ) eruption that occurred about 1.5\u202fka\u202fyears ago, between ca. AD270 and AD535. The eruption dispersed volcanic ash over much of the present territory of El Salvador, and pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) extended 40\u202fkm from the volcano. In this study, we document the physical characteristics of the deposits from all over El Salvador to further constrain the eruption processes and the intensity and magnitude of the different phases of the eruption. The succession of deposits generated by the TBJ eruption is made of 8\u202funits. The eruption started with PDCs of hydromagmatic origin (Unit A0), followed by fallout deposits (Units A and B) that are