Stop 34: Co-Ignimbrite Ash

Fieldtrip
Virtual Altiplano
Latitude
-22.87047500°
Longitude
-67.33632778°

A co-ignimbrite ash is a cloud of fine ash particles that overrides a pyroclastic density current. The process responsible for the formation of these clouds is called elutriation. The co-ignimbrite deposit overlies the Tara ignimbrite and is capped with dilute flow, surge, and possibly flow deposits. This is the only co-ignimbrite ash deposit ever identified in the central Andes.

Image
Image of the co-ignimbrite ash deposit with Bob for scale.
Image
Close up image of the co-ignimbrite ash deposit with hot sauce for scale. See Sparks and Walker (1977) for more details.
By cws_dpla on Jan. 18, 2018