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Hierro Volcano - John Seach
El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain
27.73 N, 18.03 W
summit elevation 1500 m
shield volcano
El Hierro volcano is the westernmost, youngest and smallest of the Canary Islands. In the 2nd century A.D., Ptolemy considered it the western-most position of the world.
El Hierro Island covers an area of 278 sq km, and contains three well-defined ridges, arranged at approximately 120 degrees. According to the hotspot model of volcano formation, the current location of the Canary islands hotspot is under Hierro Island.
El Hierro volcano is still in its juvenile stage of shield growth, and has been modified by gravitational spreading which caused gigantic landslides. There are three volcanic structures on El Hierro Island - elongated topographic ridge (the Southern Ridge) and two semi-circular volcanic cones (Tinor volcano, El Golfo volcano).
Tinor Landslide was the earliest and directed to the northwest of Hierro Island.
El Julan produced a 15 km wide embayment in the southwest of the island. The landslide was approximately 60–120 cubic km in volume, and covered 1600 sq km of ocean floor.
Las Playas Landslide directed SE and had a volume of 25-35 cubic km.
El Golfo, Debris Avalanche
El Golfo is a major debris avalanche on the northern flank of Hierro Island, dated about 13,000 years ago. It has a width of 15 km and a scarp height of 1000 m. The landslide deposited 150-180 cubic km of debris on the seafloor down to a depth of 3000 m.
Hierro Volcano Eruptions
1793, 1692?, 1677?