Digital Elevation Model resolution: Effects on the chronometry-oriented morphological analysis of monogenetic scoria cones in the Sierra Chichinautzin, central Mexico

Abstract

Morphological characterization of monogenetic cones provides essential information on different genetic, evolutionary, and hazard-related features of dispersive volcanism. Specifically, it may be used to measure the degree of erosional shape alteration of scoria cones, and from there, to estimate the age of individual volcanoes in extensive volcanic fields and the hazard implications of the cones' age distribution. Here we compare diverse morphometric parameters, some resulting from the elevation profiles analyses, and a novel one obtained from a shape characterization of elevation contours using Elliptical Fourier Descriptors, of 19 radiometrically-dated monogenetic scoria cones in the Sierra Chichinautzin Volcanic Field in Central Mexico. The parameters were calculated from two independent Digital Elevation Models with different resolutions: the 12 m resolution TanDEM-X SAR database, and a 5 m resolution airborne LIDAR DEM. From the analysis of the available information on the volcanic cones in the age range 1.6 to 222 ka, we conclude that the age-relevant morphometric parameters calculated from the TanDEM-X satellite DEM render alike values and perform equally well as the LIDAR airborne DEM for the morpho-chronological characterization of scoria cones, expanding the role of digital satellite elevation data to the study of detailed features of distributed volcanism at a global level.