Amonogenetic volcanic field is a type ofvolcanic field consisting of a group of small monogeneticvolcanoes, each of which erupts only once, as opposed topolygenetic volcanoes, which erupt repeatedly over a period of time. The small monogenetic volcanoes of these fields are the most common subaerial volcanic landform.[1]
Many monogenetic volcanoes arecinder cones, often with lava flows, such asParícutin in theMichoacán-Guanajuato volcanic field, which erupted from 1943 to 1952. Some monogenetic volcanoes are smalllava shields, such asRangitoto Island in theAuckland volcanic field. Other monogenetic volcanoes aretuff rings ormaars. A monogenetic field typically contains between ten and a hundred volcanoes. The Michoacán-Guanajuato field in Mexico contains more than a thousand volcanoes and is exceptionally large.[2]
Monogenetic fields occur only where themagma supply to the volcano is low or where vents are not close enough or large enough to develop plumbing systems for continuous feeding of magma. 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.[3] The magma supplying such fields is thought to have rapidly ascended from its source region, with only short resident times (decades or less) in shallowmagma chambers.[1]
