Geochronology of the mega-landslides of the last million years in Tenerife. Part I A Review and new Ar/Ar ages
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21701/bolgeomin.131.4.021Keywords:
age determinations, Canary Islands, geochronology, Tenerife, volcanic megalandslidesAbstract
To date, the ages of the large flank landslides which occurred in Tenerife (Canary Islands) during the last million years have been estimated from the ages of the volcanic deposits chronologically related to the landslides, although very scarce data made expressly for this specific purpose are available. In order to get a more precise estimation of these ages, the bibliographical data previously published (1972-2019) on the age of subaerial and submarine volcanic deposits related to the megalandslides of Icod or Las Cañadas, La Orotava, Güímar and Micheque or Acentejo have been collected and reviewed. In addition, new Ar/Ar age determinations from rocks obtained inside the galleries crossing the filling of the landslide valleys of La Orotava, Güímar and Micheque are shown, including some age determinations of the lava flows underlying the landslide debris deposits (‘mortalón’). As a result, we have obtained the following representative ages for the Tenerife landslides: Icod: ~170 ka; La Orotava: ~560, ~530 y ~500(?) ka; Güímar: ~830 ka; and Micheque: 810-830 ka. In the case of the La Orotava landslide, the new age data suggest the occurrence of several overlapping landslides with time intervals of tens of thousands of years. This hypothesis represents a new approach to the study of flank instability processes in volcanic islands, and new scenarios to interpret landslide ages data. On the other hand, it also implies a greater complexity in the landslide mechanisms, and a greater recurrence of the volcanic megalandslides. In Part II of this paper (Ferrer et al., 2020–this volume), new data related to the age, mechanisms and development of Tenerife landslides are presented and discussed, as complementary information.
Downloads
References
Abdel-Monem, A., Watkins, N.D. and Gast, P. 1972. Potassium-argon ages, volcanic stratigraphy and geomagnetic polarity history of the Canary Islands: Tenerife, La Palma and Hierro. American Journal of Science, 272, 805-825. https://doi.org/10.2475/ajs.272.9.805
Ablay, G.J. and Hurlimann, M. 2000. Evolution of the norh flank of Tenerife by recurrent giant landslides. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 103, 135-159. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0377-0273(00)00220-1
Alonso, J.J. 1989. Estudio volcanoestratigráfico y volcanológico de los piroclastos sálicos del sur de Tenerife. Universidad de La Laguna, Secretariado de Publicaciones. 257 pp.
Ancochea, E., Fúster, J.M., Ibarrola, E., Cendrero, A., Coello, J., Hernán, F. et al. 1990. Volcanic evolution of the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands) in the light of new K-Ar data. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 44, 231-249. https://doi.org/10.1016/0377-0273(90)90019-C
Ancochea, E., Huertas, M.J., Cantagrel, J.M., Coello, J., Fúster, J.M., Arnaud, N. and Ibarrola, E. 1999. Evolution of the Cañadas edifice and its implications for the origin of the Cañadas Caldera (Tenerife, Canary Islands). Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 88, 177-199. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0377-0273(98)00106-1
Ancochea, E., Huertas, M.J., Cantagrel, J.M., Fúster, J.M. y Arnaud, N. 2000. Cronología y evolución del edificio Cañadas, Tenerife, islas Canarias. Boletín Geológico y Minero, 111 (2-3), 3-16.
Ancochea, E., Huertas, M.J., Fúster, J.M., Cantagrel, J.M., Coello, J. and Ibarrola, E. 1995. Geocronología de la Pared de la Caldera de las Cañadas (Tenerife, Islas Canarias). Boletín de la Real Sociedad Española de Historia Natural (Sec. Geología), 90, 107-124.
Arnaud, N., Huertas, M.J., Cantagrel, J.M., Ancochea, E. y Fuster, J.M. 2001. Edades 39Ar/40Ar de los depósitos de Roques de García (Las Cañadas, Tenerife). Geogaceta, 29, 19-22.
Biain, A., León, R., Urgeles, R., Somoza, L., Medialdea, T., Ferrer, M and González, F.J. 2015. Onshore and offshore geomorphological features of the El Golfo debris avalanche (El Hierro, Canary islands). In: Lamarche et al. (Eds.), Submarine Mass Movements and their Consequences. Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research, 41, 83-92. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20979-1_8
Boulesteix, T., Hildenbrand, A., Gillot, P.Y. and Soler, V., 2012. Eruptive response of oceanic islands to giant landslides: new insights from the geomorphologic evolution of the Teide-Pico Viejo volcanic complex (Tenerife, Canary). Geomorphology, 138, 61-73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2011.08.025
Boulesteix, T., Hildenbrand, A., Soler, V., Quidelleur, X. and Gillot, P.Y. 2013. Coeval giant landslides in the Canary Islands: Implications for global, regional and local triggers of giant flank collapses on oceanic volcanoes. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 257, 90-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2013.03.008
Bravo, T. 1962. El Circo de Las Cañadas y sus dependiencias. Boletín de la Real Sociedad Española de Historia Natural (Sec. Geología), 60, 93-108.
Bravo Bethencourt, J. y Bravo, T. 1989. Esquema geológico de la Pared de Las Cañadas. En: Araña y Coello (Eds.), Los volcanes y la caldera del Parque Nacional del Teide (Tenerife, Islas Canarias), ICONA, 85-100.
Bryan, S.E., Martí, J. and Cas, R.A.F. 1998. Stratigraphy of the Bandas del Sur Formation: an extracaldera record of Quaternary phonolitic explosive eruptions from the Las Cañadas edifice, Tenerife (Canary Islands). Geological Magazine, 135, 605-636. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0016756897001258
Bryan, S.E., Martí, J. and Leosson, M. 2002. Petrology and geochemistry of the Bandas del Sur Formation, Las Ca-ñadas edifice, Tenerife (Canary Islands). Journal of Petrology, 43, 1815-1856. https://doi.org/10.1093/petrology/43.10.1815
Brown, R.J., Barry, T.L., Branney, M.J., Pringle, M.S. and Bryan, S.E. 2003. The Quaternary pyroclastic succession of southeast Tenerife, Canary Islands: explosive eruptions, related caldera subsidence, and sector collapse. Geological Magazine, 140, 265-288. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0016756802007252
Cantagrel, J.M., Arnaud, N.O., Ancochea, E., Fuster, J.M. and Huertas, M.J. 1999. Repeated debris avalanches on Tenerife and genesis of Las Cañadas caldera wall (Canary Islands). Geology, 27, 739-742. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1999)027<0739:RDAOTA>2.3.CO;2
Carracedo, J.C. 1994. The Canary Islands: An example of structural control on the growth of large oceanic island volcanoes. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 60, 3/4, 225-242. https://doi.org/10.1016/0377-0273(94)90053-1
Carracedo, J.C., Rodríguez Badiola, E., Guillou, H., Scaillet, S., Paterne, M., Pérez-Torrado, F.J. et al. 2006. Geocronología e historia volcánica del complejo volcánico del Teide y las dorsales de Tenerife. En: Los volcanes del Parque Nacional del Teide. El Teide, Pico Viejo y las dorsales activas de Tenerife, Mº de Medioambiente, 69-97.
Carracedo, J.C., Rodríguez Badiola, E., Guillou, H., Paterne, M., Scaillet, S., Pérez Torrado, F.J. et al. 2007. Eruptive and structural history of Teide volcano and rift zones of Tenerife, Canary Islands. Geological Society of America Bulletin,119, 9/10, 1027-1051. https://doi.org/10.1130/B26087.1
Carracedo, J.C., Guillou, H., Rodríguez Badiola, E., Pérez-Torrado, F.J., Rodríguez González, A., Paris, R. et al. 2009. La dorsal NE de Tenerife: Hacia un modelo del origen y evolución de los rifts de islas oceánicas: Estudios Geológicos, 65 (1), 5-47. https://doi.org/10.3989/egeol.39755.056
Carracedo, J.C., Guillou, H., Nomade, S., Rodríguez Badiola, E., Pérez-Torrado, F.J., Rodríguez González, A. et al. 2011. Evolution of ocean-island rifts: The northeast rift zone of Tenerife, Canary Islands. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 123, 3/4, 562-584. https://doi.org/10.1130/B30119.1
CIATF, 2019. Consejo Insular de Aguas de Tenerife. https://ciatf.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=8d42d177780043e89d9824cee2166995. Última consulta 5/12/2019.
Coello, J. 1973. Las series volcánicas en subsuelos de Tenerife. Estudios geológicos, 29-6, 491-512.
Coello, J. y Bravo, T. 1989. Correlación lito-estratigráfica de perforaciones (galerías) en la región central de Tenerife. En: Araña y Coello (Eds.), Los volcanes y la caldera del Parque Nacional del Teide (Tenerife, Islas Canarias), ICONA, 359-386.
Coello Bravo, J.J., Martín González, E. y Hernández Gutiérrez, L.E. 2014. Depósitos de tsunami originados por un deslizamiento gravitacional masivo en Tenerife (islas Canarias). Vieraea, 42, 79-102. https://doi.org/10.31939/vieraea.2014.42.05
Edgar, C.J., Wolff, J.A., Olin, P.H., Nichols, H.J., Pittari, A., Cas, R.A.F. et al. 2007. The late Quaternary Diego-Hernandez formation, Tenerife: volcanology of a complex cycle of voluminous explosive phonolitic eruptions. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 160, 59-85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2006.06.001
EMODnet-Geology Project. 2019. EASMEI2019/0P/0003. https://www.emodnet-geology.eu/map-viewer/?p=geological_events_and_probabilities.
Ferrer, M., González de Vallejo, L.I., Seisdedos, J., García, J.C., Coello, J.J., Casillas, R., Martín, C., Hernández, L.E. 2008. Large rockslides hazard in Tenerife island. Geological analysis and geomechanical modelling of instability mechanisms, IGME-CICYT CGL2004-00899. Informe inédito. Centro de Documentación del IGME, Madrid.
Ferrer, M., González de Vallejo, L., Seisdedos, J., Coello, J.J., García, J.C., Hernández, L. et al. 2013. Güímar and La Orotava megalandslides (Tenerife) and tsunamis deposits in Canary Islands. In: Margottini et al. (Eds), Landslide Science and Practice, vol. 5: Complex Environment. Springer, 27-34. ROMA ISBN 978-3-642-31426-1. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-31427-8_3
Ferrer, M., González de Vallejo, L.I. y García, J.C. 2020. Geocronología de los megadeslizamientos de Tenerife del último millón de años. Parte II. Nuevas aportaciones al conocimiento de los deslizamientos. Boletín Geológico y Minero, 131(4), 941-970. https://doi.org/10.21701/bolgeomin.131.4.022
Frenz, M., Wynn, R.B., Georgiopoulou, A., Bender, V.B., Hough, G., Masson, D.G. et al. 2009. Provenance and pathways of late Quaternary turbidites in the deepwater Agadir Basin, northwest African margin. International Journal of Earth Sciences, 98 (4), 721-733. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-008-0313-4
Huertas, M. J., Arnaud, N.O., Ancochea, E., Cantagrel, J.M. and Fuster, J.M. 2002. 40Ar/39Ar Stratigraphy of pyroclastic units from Cañadas Volcanic Edifice (Tenerife, Canary Islands) and their bearing on the structural evolution. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 115, 351-365. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0377-0273(01)00331-6
Hunt, J.E., Wynn, R.B., Masson, D.G., Talling, P.J. and Teagle, D.A.H. 2011. Sedimentological and geochemical evidence for multistage failure of volcanic island landslides: a case study from the Icod landslide on north Tenerife, Canary Islands. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 12 (12), 36 pp. https://doi.org/10.1029/2011GC003740
Hunt, J.E., Wynn R.B., Talling, P.J. and Masson, D.G. 2013. Turbidite record of frequency and source of large volume (>100 km3) Canary Island landslides in the last 1.5 Ma: Implications for landslide triggers and geohazards. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 14 (7), 2100-2123. https://doi.org/10.1002/ggge.20139
Ibarrola, E., Ancochea, E., Fúster, J.M., Cantagrel, J.M., Coello, J., Snelling, N.J. and Huertas, M.J. 1993. Cronoestratigrafía del Macizo de Tigaiga: evolución de un sector del Edificio Cañadas (Tenerife, Islas Canarias). Boletín de la Real Sociedad Española de Historia Natural (Sec. Geología), 88, 57-72.
Krastel, S., Schmincke, H.U., Jacobs, C.L., Rihm, R., Le Bas, T.P. and Alibes, B. 2001. Submarine landslides around the Canary Islands. Journal of Geophysical Research, Solid Earth, 0106 (B3), 3977-3997. https://doi.org/10.1029/2000JB900413
León, R., Somoza, L., Urgeles, R., Medialdea, T., Ferrer, M., Biain, A. et al. 2017. Multi-event oceanic island landslides: New onshore-offshore insights from El Hierro Island, Canary Archipelago, Marine Geology, 393, 156-175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2016.07.001
León, R., Palomino, D., Vázquez, J. T., Medialdea, T. and Somoza, L. 2019. A new scenario for the mass transport deposits west Canary volcanic province. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 509, 27-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2018.12.020
Madeira, J., Andrade, C. and Freitas, M.C. 2011. Reconocimientos de campo para identificación de depósitos de tsunamis. Parte 2: Report of the visit to Tenerife to assess the origin of the chaotic marine breccias of Teno-Buenavista region. Proyecto GRANDETEN II (CGL2008-01423). Informe inédito. Centro de Documentación del IGME, Madrid. 22 pp.
Martí, J., Hurlimann, M., Ablay, G.J. and Gudmundsson. A. 1997. Vertical and lateral collapses on Tenerife (Canary Islands) and other volcanic ocean islands. Geology, 25 (10), 879-882. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1997)025<0879:VALCOT>2.3.CO;2
Martí. J., Mitjavila, J. and Araña, V. 1994. Stratigraphy, structure and geochronology of Las Cañadas caldera (Tenerife. Canary Islands). Geological Magazine, 131, 715-727. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0016756800012838
Martí, J., Mitjavila, J. and Villa, I. 1990. Stratigraphy and K-Ar ages of the Cañada de Diego Hernández and their significance on the Las Cañadas caldera formation (Tenerife, Canary Islands). Terra Nova, 2, 148-153. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3121.1990.tb00056.x
Masson, D.G., Watts, A.B., Gee, M.R.J., Urgeles, R., Mitchell, N.C., Le Bas, T. and Canals, M. 2002. Slope failures on the flanks of the western Canary Islands. Earth Science Reviews, 57, 1-35. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0012-8252(01)00069-1
Mitjavila, J. and Villa, I. 1993. Temporal evolution of Diego Hernández formation (Las Cañadas, Tenerife) and confirmation of the age of the caldera using the 40Ar-39Ar method. Revista de la Sociedad Geológica de España, 6, 61-65.
Moore, J.G. 1964. Giant submarine landslides on the Hawaiian Ridge. In: Geological Survey Research 1964, U.S. Geological Survey Prof. Paper 501-D, D95-D98.
Moore, J.G., Clague, D.A., Holcomb, R.T., Lipman, P.W., Normark, W.R. and Torresan, M.E. 1989. Prodigious submarine landslides on the Hawaiian Ridge. Journal of Geophysical Research, 94, 17465-17484. https://doi.org/10.1029/JB094iB12p17465
Navarro, J.M. and Coello, J. 1989. Depressions originated by landslide processes in Tenerife. ESF Meeting on Canarian Volcanism, Lanzarote, 150-152.
Oehler, J.F., Lénat, J.F. and Labazuy, P. 2008. Growth and collapse of the Reunion Island volcanoes. Bulletin of Volcanology, 70, 717-742. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-007-0163-0
Palomino, D., Vázquez, J.T., Somoza, L., León, R., López-González, N. Medialdea, T. et al. 2016. Geomorphological features in the southern Canary Island Volcanic Province: The importance of volcanic processes and massive slope instabilities associated with seamounts. Geomorphology, 255, 125-139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2015.12.016
Paris, R., Coello, J.J., Martín, E., Kelfoun, K. and Nauret, F. 2017. Explosive eruption, flank collapse and megatsunami at Tenerife ca. 170 ka. Nature Communications, 8, 15246. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms15246
Pearce, T.J. and Jarvis, I. 1992. Composition and provenance of turbidite sands: Late quaternary, Madeira Abyssal Plain. Marine Geology, 109, 1-2, 21-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/0025-3227(92)90219-8
Pittari, A., Cas, R.A.F., Edgar, C.J., Nichols, H.J., Wolff, J.A. and Martí, J. 2006. The influence of palaeotopography on pyroclastic flow processes and facies architecture of a lithic-rich ignimbrite in a high gradient setting: the Abrigo Ignimbrite, Tenerife, Canary Islands. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 152, 273-315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2005.10.007
Pittari, A., Cas, R.A.F., Wolff, J.A., Nichols, H.J., Larson, P.B. and Martí, J. 2008. The use of lithic clast distributions in pyroclastic deposits to understand pre- and syn-caldera collapse processes: A case study of the Abrigo Ignimbrite, Tenerife, Canary Islands. In: Developments in Volcanology, vol. 10, Elsevier, B.V., 97-142. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1871-644X(07)00003-4
Rodríguez Losada, J.A. 2000. Itinerario geológico por los depósitos piroclásticos del sur de Tenerife. En: Astiz y García (Eds.), Curso Internacional de Volcanología y Geofísica Volcánica. Serie: Casa de Los Volcanes, 7. Servicio de publicaciones del Cabildo Insular de Lanzarote, 205-215.
Seisdedos, J. 2009. Los grandes paleo-desplazamientos de Güímar y La Oratava (Tenerife): Análisis geológico, mecanismos de inestabilidad y modelización geomecánica. Tesis Doctoral, UCM. 202 pp. ISBN: 978-84-692-1117-5.
Teide Group. 1997. Morphometric interpretation of the northwest and southeast slopes of Tenerife, Canary Islands. Journal of Geophysical Research, 102, 20325-20342. https://doi.org/10.1029/97JB01281
Urgeles, R., Masson, D.G., Canals, M., Watts, A.B. and Le Bas, T. 1999. Recurrent large-scale landsliding on the west flank of La Palma, Canary Islands. Journal of Geophysical Research, 104, Bll, 25331-25348. https://doi.org/10.1029/1999JB900243
Watts, A.B. and Masson, D.G. 1995. A giant landslide on the north flank of Tenerife, Canary Islands. Journal of Geophysical Research, 100, 24487-24498. https://doi.org/10.1029/95JB02630
Weaver, P.P.E., Rothwell, R.G., Ebbing, J., Gunn, D. and Hunter, P.M., 1992. Correlation, frequency of emplacement and source directions of megaturbidites on the Madeira Abyssal Plain. Marine Geology, 109, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/0025-3227(92)90218-7
Wynn, R.B., Weaver, P.P.E., Masson, D.G. and Stow, D.A.V., 2002. Turbidite depositional architecture across three interconnected deep-water basins on the northwest African margin. Sedimentology, 49, 1441-1462. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-3091.2002.00471.x
Downloads
Additional Files
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
© CSIC. Manuscripts published in both the print and online versions of this journal are the property of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, and quoting this source is a requirement for any partial or full reproduction.
All contents of this electronic edition, except where otherwise noted, are distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. You may read the basic information and the legal text of the licence. The indication of the CC BY 4.0 licence must be expressly stated in this way when necessary.
Self-archiving in repositories, personal webpages or similar, of any version other than the final version of the work produced by the publisher, is not allowed.
