Cartografía detallada de lahares primarios del volcán Cotopaxi mediante imágenes de espectro visible e infrarrojo cercano obtenidas por una nave aérea no tripulada (DRONE)

Abstract

Throughout this study, the methodology developed to map the lahar deposits located in the most proximal area of the north and north-eastern flanks of the Cotopaxi Volcano is presented, using a drone. In addition, field work was carried out in which a block of each flank was walked through, to creating cross sections to the area, in order to identify contacts between the different deposits on each area and have a guide at the moment of analyzing orthophotographs. Subsequently, a simple spectral analysis of the orthophotos in the visible and NIR spectra was performed, applying indices that allowed obtaining a detailed mapping of the study areas. In the northern zone, 6 primary lahars deposits were identified; while in the north-eastern zone only 3 were identified, the same ones that correlate with those found in the north zone. Among the deposits identified, only one date could be assigned to one of them, which corresponds to the eruption of June 26, 1877; while the remaining deposits were named as L1, L2, L3, L4, L5. The 1877, L1 and L2 deposits were found in both areas.