Introduction
The Canary Islands are amongst the few known volcanic islands in the world. The Canary archipelago is made up of seven major islands and other small islets forming a chain stretching for approximately 500 kilometers through the eastern Atlantic. It is located between the latitudes of 27⁰ North and 30⁰ North, with its eastern side just 100 km shy of the North West of Africa coastline. The islands are further grouped into two: the first group consists of the following Islands, La Palma, Tenerife, Ferro, La Gomera, and Gran Canaria make up the western group; they are characterized by numerous mountains that rise directly from a deep ocean floor. The second group consists of Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, and six other islets surmounting a sole underwater plateau. These islands greatly differ from other islands formed through volcanic action, as indicated by the presence of stratovolcanoes, compression features, and absence of subsidence. To understand the geology of the Canary Islands, this paper focuses on their formation and physical characteristics.
Origin and Formation
The islands have the longest history of volcanic eruptions ever recorded in human history. According to Schiminke (68), volcanic activities of the canary island date back as far as 70 million years ago. The Spanish National Geographical Institute dates the earliest event of an eruption as having occurred in 1430. A series of eruptions have since followed suit, with La Palma having experienced a major case of a volcanic eruption in 1971. The Islands are, however, still volcanically active, with the most recent volcanic eruptions having taken in as recent as 2021.
Physical Characteristics
The Canary Islands originated separately as submerged seamount volcanoes from the Atlantic Ocean’s sea bed. The two groups of the Canary Islands, the Eastern and the Western islands, however, exhibit unique geological and climatic features that make them distinctive. Eastern Islands are generally low-lying and consist of large plains and low desolate hills. Another characteristic feature of these islands is the fact that they are largely deserted with noticeable extinct volcanoes. Fuerteventura is the most distinctive island of the Eastern group. It is covered by numerous smaller and medium hills and spectacular plains that cover almost the entire island (Schmincke 150). Due to the islands’ hot and dry environment, it is covered by desert vegetation, including shrubs, figs, and euphorbias.
Unlike Fuerteventura, Lanzarote is more mountainous, with the highest grounds attaining approximately 2198 feet. This island also exhibits more tangible characteristics of previous volcanic activities. The island has numerous extinct volcanoes with signs of lava flowing toward the direction of the sea. On the other hand, the Western Islands depict completely different geological and climatic characteristics (Schmincke 163). These groups of islands are all mountainous, from the smallest to the largest ones. These islands have a relatively conducive environment compared to the Eastern Islands. There is an abundance of water; hence its large vegetation cover is supportive of farming activities, including crop farming.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Canary Islands formed through volcanic action millions of years ago. Although the Canary Islands, just like the Hawaiian Islands, were formed through the same volcanic process, they exhibit different characteristics as they have stratovolcanoes, compression features, and subsidence is not present there. The Eastern groups of the islands are large deserts, while the Western group is heavily mountainous with great vegetation cover. The islands still are volcanically active, with the most recent volcanic eruption has occurred in La Palma as recent as 2021.
Work Cited
Schmincke, Hans-Ulrich. “The geology of the Canary Islands.” Biogeography and ecology in the Canary Islands. Springer, Dordrecht, 1976. 67-184.