Cenozoic volcanism II: the Canary Islands

The Canarian archipelago comprises seven main volcanic islands and several islets that form a chain extending for c. 500 km across the eastern Atlantic, with its eastern edge only 100 km from the NW African coast (Fig. 18.1). The islands have had a very long volcanic history, with formations over 20...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Carracedo, J.C., Perez-Torrado, Francisco-Jose, Ancochea, Eumenio, Meco, J., Hernán Reguera, F., Cubas, Carmen Rosa, Casillas, Ramón, Rodriguez-Badiola, Eduardo, Ahijado, Agustina
Tipo de recurso: capítulo de libro
Fecha de publicación:2002
País:España
Repositorio:accedaCRIS portal de investigación de la Universidad de las Palmas de Gran Canaria
OAI Identifier:oai:accedacris.ulpgc.es:10553/16796
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10553/16796
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:24 Ciencias de la vida
2416 Paleontología
Cenozoico
Volcanismo
Descripción
Sumario:The Canarian archipelago comprises seven main volcanic islands and several islets that form a chain extending for c. 500 km across the eastern Atlantic, with its eastern edge only 100 km from the NW African coast (Fig. 18.1). The islands have had a very long volcanic history, with formations over 20 million years old cropping out in the eastern Canaries. Thus all stages of the volcanic evolution of oceanic islands, including the submarine stage as well as the deep structure of the volcanoes, can be readily observed. Rainfall and vegetation cover are relatively low, with the exception of the island of La Palma, favouring both geological observation and rock preservation. Furthermore, the absence of surface water has promoted groundwater mining by means of up to 3000 km of subhorizontal tunnels (locally known as ‘galerías’).