Community perceptions of ash fall from El Chichonal Volcano in the riverine landscape of Aquiles Serdan, Tabasco
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.19136/jobs.a12n33.6692Keywords:
Volcanic ash, El Chichonal, local perception, environmental memory, rural communityAbstract
The 1982 eruption of the El Chichonal volcano produced a wide dispersion of volcanic ash that reached several areas of the state of Tabasco, Mexico. In the community of Aquiles Serdán (Paraíso, Tabasco), memories and local narratives about this event and its perceived environmental consequences still persist. This study aimed to document local perceptions and environmental memories regarding ashfall and the effects attributed to fluvial and agricultural settings through a qualitative approach based exclusively on semi-structured interviews. Three native inhabitants (49-70 years old), selected as key informants for having lived through the event, were interviewed, and data were analyzed through open and axial thematic coding. Testimonies described the ash as fine, light-gray, and easily dispersed by wind, later washed by rainfall into river channels, as well as local interpretations of temporary reductions in river depth and the formation of small deposits or islets in some areas. Participants also mentioned short-term effects on coconut crops and water visibility. Findings reflect situated memories and meanings attributed by the community; they do not constitute direct empirical evidence of geoenvironmental processes, but rather a qualitative record of how a distal volcanic event has been remembered and re-signified over time.
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