No abstract

International audienceMarine conglomerates at high elevation on the flanks of ocean islands are usually interpreted as evidence of mega-tsunamis generated by volcano flank collapses, although their origin is sometimes debated (elevated littorals vs. tsunami). In this review, we introduce case studies of well-documented examples of tsunami conglomerates in Hawaii (Pacific Ocean), the Canary and Cape Verde Islands (Atlantic Ocean), and Mauritius Island (Indian Ocean). Other less-documented marine conglomerates are also presented as tsunami candidates. Then, we build a comprehensive picture of the general characteristics of these conglomerates and the different methods that can be applied to date them. Different perspectives of research are proposed, especially on the use of tsunami conglomerates as proxies for better constraining numerical models of ocean island flank collapses and associated tsunamis. We also discuss the possible links between volcano growth, flank instability, and climate

Previous published data, combined with our results of 13 new radiocarbon ages and extensive geological fieldwork, indicate that during the past 11 ka 24 monogenetic basaltic eruptions occurred in the north sector of Gran Canaria. These eruptions can be grouped into three periods of eruptive activity: 1900-3200 14 C a BP; 5700-6000 14 C a BP; and an older period represented by only one eruption, El Draguillo, dated at 10 610 AE 190 14 C a BP. Archaeological studies have shown that the more recent eruptions affected prehistoric human settlements on the island. Field studies demonstrate that the eruptions typically built strombolian cones (30-250 m in height) and associated relatively long lava flows (100-10 350 m in length); a few eruptions also produced tephra fall deposits. The total erupted volume of these eruptions is about 0.388 km 3 (46.1% as tephra fall, 41.8% as cinder cone deposits and 12.1% as lava flows). The relatively low eruption rate ($0.04 km 3 ka À1 ) during the past 11 ka is consistent with Gran Canaria's stage of evolution in the regional volcano-tectonic setting of the Canary Archipelago. The results of our study were used to construct a volcanic hazards map that clearly delimits two sectors in the NE sector of Gran Canaria, where potential future eruptions would pose a substantial risk for densely populated areas.

The northeast rift zone of Tenerife presents a superb opportunity to study the entire cycle of activity of an oceanic rift zone. Field geology, isotopic dating, and magnetic stratigraphy provide a reliable temporal and spatial framework for the evolution of the NE rift zone, which includes a period of very fast growth toward instability (between ca. 1.1 and 0.83 Ma) followed by three successive large landslides: the Micheque and Güímar collapses, which occurred approximately contemporaneously at ca. 830 ka and on either side of the rift, and the La Orotava landslide (between 690 ± 10 and 566 ± 13 ka). Our observations suggest that Canarian rift zones show similar patterns of development, which often includes overgrowth, instability, and lateral collapses. Collapses of the rift fl anks disrupt established fi ssural feeding systems, favoring magma ascent and shallow emplacement, which in turn leads to magma differentiation and intermediate to felsic nested eruptions. Rifts and their collapses may therefore act as an important factor in providing architectural and petrological variability to oceanic volcanoes. Conversely, the presence of substantial felsic volcanism in rift settings may indicate the presence of earlier landslide scars, even if concealed by postcollapse volcanism. Comparative analysis of the main rifts in the Canary Islands outlines this general evolutionary pattern: (1) growth of an increasingly high and steep ridge by concentrated basaltic fi ssure eruptions; (2) fl ank collapse and catastrophic disruption of the established feeder system of the rift; (3) postcollapse centralized nested volcanism, commonly evolving from initially ultramafi c-mafi c to terminal felsic compositions (trachytes, phonolites); and (4) progressive decline of nested eruptive activity.

Almost exactly half a century after the eruption of the Teneguía Volcano on La Palma (26 October to 28 November 1971), a new eruption occurred on the island and lasted for 85 days from 19 September until 13 December 2021. This new eruption opened a volcanic vent complex on the western flank of the Cumbre Vieja rift zone, the N‐S elongated polygenetic volcanic ridge that has developed on La Palma over the last c. 125 ka. The Cumbre Vieja ridge is the volcanically active region of the island and the most active one of the Canary Islands, hosting half of all the historically recorded eruptive events in the archipelago. The 2021 La Palma eruption has seen no direct loss of human life, thanks to efficient early detection and sensible management of the volcanic crisis by the authorities, but more than 2800 buildings and almost 1000 hectares of plantations and farmland were affected by lava flows and pyroclastic deposits. Satellite surveillance enabled accurate mapping of the progressive buildup of the extensive and complex basaltic lava field, which together with monitoring of gas emissions informed the timely evacuation of local populations from affected areas. Lava flows that reached the sea constructed an extensive system of lava deltas and platforms, similar to events during earlier historical eruptions such as in 1712, 1949 and 1971. Long‐term challenges in the aftermath of the eruption include protection of drainage systems from potential redistribution of tephra during high rainfall events, the use of the large surplus quantities of ash in reconstruction of buildings and in agriculture, and the crucial concerns of where and how rebuilding should and could occur in the aftermath of the eruption. Finally, there remain strong financial concerns over insurance for properties consumed or damaged by the eruption in the light of future volcanic hazards from the Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge.