J.L. Brandle

Volcanic complexes in the eastern ridge of the Canary Islands: the Miocene activity of the island of Fuerteventura

Abstract Fuerteventura has been since early stages of its growth the result of three different adjacent large volcanic complexes: Southern, Central and Northern. The definition of these volcanic complexes and their respective growing episodes is based on volcano-stratigraphic, morphological and structural criteria, particularly radial dyke swarms. Each complex has its own prolonged history that might be longer than 10 m.y. During that time, several periods of activity alternating with gaps accompanied by important erosion took place. The evolution of each volcanic complex has been partially independent but all the three are affected by at least three Miocene tectonic phases that controlled considerably their activity. The volcanic complexes are deeply eroded and partially submerged. In the core of the Northern and the Central volcanic complexes there is a set of submarine and plutonic rocks intensely traversed by a dyke swarm, known as the Basal Complex. The Basal Complex has been interpreted in different ways but all previous authors have considered it to be prior to the subaerial shield stage of the island. Here we advance the idea that the Basal Complex represent the submarine growing stage of the volcanic complexes and the hypabyssal roots (plutons and dykes) of their successive subaerial growing episodes. Two seamounts situated nearby, southwest of the island, might be interpreted as remains of two other major volcanoes. These two volcanoes, together with those forming the present emerged island of Fuerteventura, and finally those of Famara and Los Ajaches situated further north on Lanzarote constitute a chain of volcanoes located along a lineation which is subparallel to the northwestern African coastline and which may relate to early Atlantic spreading trends in the area.

Tectonics and volcanism of Sierra Chichinautzin: extension at the front of the Central Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt

Abstract Because of its recent activity and position at the southern magmatic front of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB), the Sierra Chichinautzin volcanic field (SCN) is a key area for the understanding of this controversial volcanic province. Volcanic activity has built more than 220 monogenetic volcanoes (shields, scoria cones, thick lava flows, and hydromagmatic structures) during the last 40,000 years, for a total volume of about 470 km 3 . The SCN basalts are geochemically similar to OIBs, while the intermediate and felsic volcanic rocks show a calc-alkaline trend and abundant evidence for magma mixing. The structural analysis of this volcanic field and surrounding areas has been based on field data, satellite images, and a method for detecting volcanic center alignments. The tectonic data, together with geophysical evidence, confirm active general N–S extensional conditions with a strike–slip component for the SCN area, the same structural setting that prevails in the rest of the Central TMVB. Extensional tectonics, a negative regional Bouger gravity anomaly, a low-velocity mantle, high heat flow, and shallow seismicity suggest a rift-type setting involving the upwelling of anomalous mantle beneath the Central TMVB. The combined petrological, structural and geophysical arguments support that the SCN volcanism is rift-related, and rule out processes involving the subduction of the Cocos plate, which casts further doubts on the standard subduction model for the TMVB volcanism.

The felsic dikes of La Gomera (Canary Islands): identification of cone sheet and radial dike swarms

On the northern part of La Gomera there exists a great abundance of trachytic–phonolitic dikes showing a broad diversity in dip and strike. Several methods have been applied in order to separate these dikes in different sets, localise the area from where they derive, and reconstruct the geometry of the swarms. The oldest dikes correspond to a radial swarm dated at 8 Ma. The felsic activity migrated then southwestwards and a second radial swarm and a cone sheet complex were developed between 7.5 and 6.4 Ma ago. The cone sheet complex is 10 km in diameter and shared its centre with that of the second radial structure. The cone sheets exhibit an outward decrease of dip angle whilst every individual sheet maintains a constant inclination. This geometry reflects the existence of an ancient single dome-shaped shallow magma chamber situated some 1650 m below present sea level. The eastern radial swarm represents a felsic episode that could mark the ending of the Lower Old Basalts, the earlier subaerial activity of La Gomera. The two other dike swarms represent a younger episode coeval with the Upper Old Basalts.