Glacial reconstruction and periglacial dynamics at the end of Late Pleistocene on the surface of Cofre de Perote volcano, México: a climatological retrospective

Despite being within the intertropical region of the planet, the Mexican territory still has glacier-covered mountains. In recent decades, important advances have been made in studies on glaciology and periglacial environment in Mexico both for current and past conditions. However, in spite of Cofre de Perote volcano (4200 m a.s.l.) being a strategically located mountain, it has not yet been studied in regards to the glacial and periglacial processes; in fact, those dynamics have modified the mountain massifs in the past. To complement the series of studies on glacial history in the high mountain environment of México, this study reconstructs the glacial cover and the periglacial environment of the volcano surface during the final stage of the Late Pleistocene based on climatic retrospective and through the identification of geomorphological features. The findings indicate the existence of a large glacier (ice cap) that covered the northern, western, and southern slopes of the mountain; while in the eastern sector there were two small glaciers, one being of cirque type, and the other of valley type. The current temperature conditions prevent the occurrence of permanent ice bodies; at the same time, it was found that the periglacial blockfields of the slopes is a legacy of the climatic conditions that prevailed at the end of Late Pleistocene.