Reassessment of the eruptive chronology of El Metate shield volcano (central-western Mexico) based on a comprehensive rock-magnetic, paleomagnetic and multi-approach paleointensity survey

We study seven out of the thirteen lava flows associated to El Metate shield volcano using paleomagnetic, absolute intensity and rock-magnetic experiments. Characteristic paleomagnetic directions were successfully determined from most of the flows. A combined mean direction of D = 346.4° and I = 32.1° (N = 34, R = 33.73, k = 121.74, α95 = 2.2) was obtained for the early flows (Flow 1 − Flow 3). Flow 6a (a flow from the late emplacement stage) yielded a statistically distinguishable mean paleomagnetic direction of D = 359.2° and I = 29.6° (N = 9, R = 8.97, k = 294.6, α95 = 3.0).