Canary Islands

It includes: o-in Ferro, insufficiently studied basaltic island of Palma, the little known island of Gomera, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. With regard to the location of the islands, the latter two form a series, directed from southwest to northeast, in the same direction are placed on them, and craters. Whether grouped volcanoes of Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Ferro in the same series - it is not known. Since the population of the islands by the Spaniards erupts Tenerife, Palma and Lanzarote. The bulk of the island of Tenerife is a huge volcano, which reaches 3,710 m in height. On all sides the terrain gradually rises, and the slopes of the volcano are falling at an angle of 10 - 14 °. At a considerable height is a huge crater of an ancient type of the Somme. According to some researchers, it reaches 2 Department of Geography. miles in diameter, in the opinion of others - \ 1 / 2 Department of Geography. miles. The southern part of this huge ring is completely preserved, the north also collapsed in places where flowed to the foot of the volcano lava flows. About this ancient elliptical crater is several types of parasitic cones of Etna, lava poured, and rises in the peak of Teneriffe (or Pico de Teide), on a mountain hill, "as Leopold von Buch. "Only having entered into a circus, formed by an annular shaft, the traveler can tell that he had reached the foot of the Peak and saw those of its features that are absent in other volcanoes. Mountain masses, which serve as foot of the peak, in spite of their height, are something inconsequential afterthought. Pumice fields on the slopes of the cone so immense that from a distance the mountain seems covered with snow. Black streams absidiana pierce this veil of white tape and just down from the top, some reaching to the base of the circus, the other half of the cone, and the third act dramatically to its black color only at the very top. Everything is covered with loose masses of igneous, circle no trees, no grass "(Leopold von Buch). At the top is a crater, reaching 1 / 2 miles in diameter, it is quite accessible for research. If we neglect the small Bocca, besides the main peak, it should be for two more significant cone located inside the ring shaft - Montagna Pico Blanco and Vija or Hahorra. The crater is wider than the last main crater of the cone, and thrown them obsidian flows have a greater capacity. Entirely different picture is the island of Palma, had informed a number of formations of the name "calderas" and "barranco"; last used in the same way as the "Somme" and "solfatara. The structure of the island are involved not only the latest igneous rocks: the base lie his massive diabase, and just above them are products of recent eruptions. The island has a wedge-shape: the wide end of it formed a kind of crater, Caldera, on the cusp of the same end is long and steep ridge Kumbre Vija with numerous volcanic cones, low shaft connects it to the Caldera. At the south end Kumbre, the acute tip of the island is the volcano a height of 728 m. In 1669 he gave the eruption, which was generally the last eruption of the island of Palma. Caldera is a remnant of a huge cone. Its top collapsed, and in its place formed a huge broad and deep depression. Rocks surrounding this valley, also called Kumbre, they rise in its northern part to an altitude of 2511 meters, and in the south until 2095 and 2133. The bottom of the caldera is not higher than 700 m above sea level. Thus, this deep basin is surrounded by walls in 1200 - 1600 m. It has a narrow gorge dug by mountain streams. This - Barranco de las Angustias or Gran Barranco (Big barranco). Caldera walls consist of volcanic masses. On the edge and the slopes are parasitic craters, from which lava spread in low-lying parts of the island and reached the sea. Another is a picture, if you log into the caldera through the Great barranco. At the entrance are visible only products of the latest eruptions, but deep in the mountains dominate the ancient massive rocks - diabase, giperstenity etc. All of them crushed and broken by numerous veins, which are sometimes completely hide the cut with their breed. These ancient igneous masses and make the bottom of the caldera, the same steep walls of the latter are formed by products of the latest eruptions. Inner part of the caldera izborozhdeny deep potholes, which are implemented in the cliffs Kumbre.