Assessing the potential for future explosive activity from Teide–Pico Viejo stratovolcanoes (Tenerife,Canary Islands)

Since the onset of their eruptive activity within the Cañadas caldera, about 180 ka ago, Teide–Pico Viejo stratovolcanoes have mainly produced lava flow eruptions of basaltic to phonoltic magmas. The products from these eruptions partially fill the caldera, and the adjacent Icod and La Orotava valleys, to the north. Although less frequent, explosive eruptions have also occurred at these composite volcanoes. In order to assess the possible evolution Teide–Pico Viejo stratovolcanoes and their potential for future explosive activity, we have analysed their recent volcanic history, assuming that similar episodes have the highest probability of occurrence in the near future. Explosive activity during the last 35000 years has been associated with the eruption of both, mafic (basalts, tephro–phonolites) and felsic (phono–tephrites and phonolites) magmas and has included strombolian, violent strombolian and sub-plinian magmatic eruptions, as well as phreatomagmatic eruptions of mafic magmas. Explosive eruptions have occurred both from central and flank vents, ranging in size from 0.001 to 0.1 km³ for the mafic eruptions and from 0.01 to < 1 km³ for the phonolitic ones. Comparison of the Teide–Pico Viejo stratovolcanoes with the previous cycles of activity from the central complex reveals that all them follow a similar pattern in the petrological evolution but that there is a significant difference in the eruptive behaviour of these different periods of central volcanism on Tenerife. Pre-Teide central activity is mostly characterised by large-volume (1–> 20 km³, DRE) eruptions of phonolitic magmas while Teide–Pico Viejo is dominated by effusive eruptions. These differences can be explained in terms of the different degree of evolution of Teide–Pico Viejo compared to the preceding cycles and, consequently, in the different pre-eruptive conditions of the corresponding phonolitic magmas. A clear interaction between the basaltic and phonolitic systems is observed from the products of phonolitic eruptions, indicating that basaltic magmatism is the driving force of the phonolitic eruptive activity. The magmatic evolution of Teide–Pico Viejo stratovolcanoes will continue in the future with a probably tendency to produce a major volume of phonolitic magmas, with an increasing explosive potential. Therefore, the explosive potential of Teide–Pico Viejo cannot be neglected and should be considered in hazard assessment on Tenerife.     

Stratigraphy, structure, and volcanic evolution of the Pico Teide–Pico Viejo formation, Tenerife, Canary Islands

The structure and volcanic stratigraphy of the Pico Teide–Pico Viejo (PT–PV) formation, deriving from the basanite–phonolite stratovolcanoes PT and PV, and numerous flank vent systems, are documented in detail based on new field and photogeologic mapping, geomorphologic analysis, borehole data, and petrological and geochemical findings. Results provide insight into the structure and evolution of the PT–PV magma system, and the long-term, cyclic evolution of Tenerife's post-shield volcanic complex. The PT–PV formation comprises products of central volcanism, mainly emplaced into the Las Cañadas caldera (LCC), and contemporaneous products from adjacent rifts. PT–PV central volcanic products become more differentiated up-section with felsic lavas dominating the recent output of the system. This is attributed to the evolution of a shallow magma reservoir beneath PT that was emplaced early in the PT–PV cycle on the intra-caldera segment of Tenerife's post-shield rift system. The rift axis has been the focus of PT–PV intrusive and eruptive activity, and has controlled the location of the stratocones. The current geometry of the rifts reflects a major structural reorganisation defining the start of the PT–PV cycle at 0.18 Ma, namely the truncation of the north side of the LCC/LCE by the giant Icod landslide. The internal stratigraphy of the PT–PV formation suggests that PT developed early, with PV developing as a satellite vent. Activity has since alternated between PT and PV due to episodes of vent blockage or chamber sealing. These processes have allowed significant volumes of phonolitic magmas to develop and accumulate within the PT chamber, which have vented through radial dike systems during tumescence episodes and from the rift system, which has permitted lateral magma transport. The PT–PV magma system is a potentially hazardous source of future, felsic eruptive activity on Tenerife.     

Chronology of the Pueblo Viejo epithermal gold–silver deposit,Dominican Republic: formation in an Early Cretaceous intra-oceanic island arc and burial under ophiolite

The Pueblo Viejo deposit (production to 1996: 166 t Au, 760 t Ag) is located in the Dominican Republic on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola and ranks as one of the largest high-sulfidation/acid-sulfate epithermal deposits (reserves in 2007: 635 t Au, 3,648 t Ag). One of the advanced argillic ore bodies is cut by an inter-mineral andesite porphyry dike, which is altered to a retrograde chlorite–illite assemblage but overprinted by late-stage quartz–pyrite–sphalerite veins and associated low-grade Au, Ag, Zn, Cd, Hg, In, As, Se, and Te mineralization. The precise TIMS U–Pb age (109.6 ± 0.6 Ma) of the youngest zircon population in this dike confirms that the deposit is part of the Early Cretaceous Los Ranchos intra-oceanic island arc. Intrusion-related gold–sulfide mineralization took place during late andesite–dacite volcanism within a thick pile (>200 m) of carbonaceous sand- and siltstones deposited in a restricted marine basin. The high-level deposit was shielded from erosion after burial under a late Albian (109–100 Ma) ophiolite complex (8 km thick), which was in turn covered by the volcano-sedimentary successions (>4 km) of a Late Cretaceous–Early Tertiary calc-akaline magmatic arc. Estimates of stratigraphic thickness and published alunite, illite, and feldspar K-Ar ages and closure temperatures (alunite 270 ± 20°C, illite 260 ± 30°C, K-feldspar 150°C) indicate a burial depth of about 12 km at 80 Ma. During peak burial metamorphism (300°C and 300 MPa), the alteration assemblage kaolinite + quartz in the deposit dehydrated to pyrophyllite. Temperature–time relations imply that the Los Ranchos terrane then cooled at a rate of 3–4°C/Ma during slow uplift and erosion.     

A long-term volcanic hazard event tree for Teide-Pico Viejo stratovolcanoes (Tenerife,Canary Islands)

We propose a long-term volcanic hazards event tree for Teide-Pico Viejo stratovolcanoes, two complex alkaline composite volcanoes that have erupted 1.8–3 km³ of mafic and felsic magmas from different vent sites during the last 35 ka. This is the maximum period that can be investigated from surface geology and also represents an upper time limit for the appearance of the first phonolites on that volcano. The whole process of the event tree construction was divided into three stages. The first stage included the determination of the spatial probability of vent opening for basaltic and phonolitic eruptions, based on the available geological and geophysical data. The second, involved the analysis of the different eruption types that have characterised the volcanic activity from Teide during this period. The third stage focussed on the generation of the event tree from the information obtained in the two previous steps and from the application of a probabilistic analysis on the occurrence of each possible eruption type. As for other volcanoes, the structure of the Teide-Pico Viejo Event Tree was subdivided into several steps of eruptive progression from general to more specific events. The precursory phase was assumed as an unrest episode of any geologic origin (magmatic, hydrothermal or tectonic), which could be responsible for a clear increase of volcanic activity revealed by geophysical and geochemical monitoring. According to the present characteristics of Teide-Pico Viejo and their past history, we started by considering whether the unrest episode would lead to a sector collapse or not. If the sector collapse does not occur but an eruption is expected, this could be either from the central vents or from any of the volcanoes' flanks. In any of these cases, there are several possibilities according to what has been observed in the period considered in our study. In the case that a sector collapse occurs and is followed by an eruption we considered it as a flank eruption. We conducted an experts elicitation judgement to assign probabilities to the different possibilities indicated in the event tree. We assumed long term estimations based on existing geological and historical data for the last 35 Ka, which gave us a minimum estimate as the geological record for such a long period is incomplete. However, to estimate probabilities for a short term forecast, for example during an unrest episode, we would need to include in the event tree additional information from the monitoring networks, as any possible precursors that may be identified could tell us in which direction the system will evolve. Therefore, we propose to develop future versions of the event tree to include also the precursors that might be expected on each path during the initial stages of a new eruptive event.     

An interdisciplinary approach to the collapse of the port and degradation of freshwater resources at Panama Viejo (Panama), 1519–1671

The Archaeological Site of Panama Viejo (Panama) comprises a protected area of 28 km² within present-day Panama City, on America's Pacific coast. In 1519, the Spaniards founded the city of Panama Viejo to secure a natural port in an area inhabited by indigenous peoples since at least the eighth century CE. The site, along the coastline and between two rivers, became a principal gateway for goods and people travelling between Europe and Pacific settlements to the east (Realejo) and the west (Trujillo, Lima, Arica). Within one century, however, Panama Viejo's natural port and freshwater infrastructure collapsed, leading to the city's relocation after corsairs attacked it in 1671. This study combines archaeological, geographical and historical analyses to explain how and why human interactions with the local environment made the settlement increasingly untenable.     

PUEBLO MISSION CHURCHES AS SYMBOLS OF PERMANENCE AND IDENTITY*

ABSTRACT. The three Pueblo mission churches of San Esteban del Rey, Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, and San José de Laguna are the most visually striking structures in the western New Mexico pueblos of Acoma, Zuni, and Laguna. Prime examples of “structures of permanence” on the landscape, the churches define local cultural identity. Church permanence and Pueblo identity are expressed in a five‐part typology of visible characteristics: natural materials and hand labor, massive exterior form, adjoining cemeteries, syncretism of interior decorations, and structural decay and rebirth. Permanence must, however, be understood as an evolving condition, undergoing new representations as multicultural relationships evolve.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Book Reviewed in this article: The City in Cultural Context . John Agnew, John Mercer, David Sopher, eds. Soils and Geomorphology Peter W. Birkeland. Urbanization and Settlement Systems, International Perspectives . L. S. Bourne, R. Sinclair, and K. Dziewoński. eds. An Introduction to Urban Historical Geography . Harold Carter. Overshoot, The Ecological Basis of Revolutionary Change . William J. Catton, Jr. Rivers of the World . Eberhard Czaya. Jewish Communities in Frontier Societies: Argentina, Australia and South Africa . Daniel J. Elazar with Peter Medding. Color in Public Spaces: Toward a Communication-Based Theory of the Urban Built Environment. Kenneth E. Foote. Spatial Statistics and Models. Gary L. Gaile and Cort J. Willmott, eds. Mega-Geomorphology. Rita Gardner and Helen Scoging, eds. Technological Change and Regional Development. Gillespie, ed. The Arid Lands: Their Use and Abuse. R. L. Heathcote. The Location of Industry in Britain. A. G. Hoare. Groundwater as a Geomorphic Agent . R. G. LaFleur, ed. Rural Public Services: International Comparisons. Richard E. Lonsdale and Gyorgy Enyedi, eds. Saving Water in a Desert City. William E. Martin, Helen M. Ingram, Nancy K. Laney, and Adrian H. Griffin. Water Resources: Distribution, Use and Management. John R. Mather. Transnationals and the Third World: The Struggle for Culture. Armand Mattelart. South Hadley, MA: USGS Digital Cartographic Data Standards. R. B. McEwen, R. E. Witmer, and B. S. Ramey, eds. The Ecosystem Concept in Anthropology. Emilio F. Moran, ed. Boulder, CO: Women, Men, and the International Division of Labor. June Nash and Maria Patricia Fernandez-Kelly, eds. Nuclear Power: Assessing and Managing Hazardous Technology. Martin J. Pasqualetti and K. David Pijawka, eds. Mary Somerville and the Cultivation of Science 1815-1840. Elizabeth Chalmers Patterson. An Introduction to Coastal Geomorphology. John Pethick. Late Quaternary Environments of the United States , Vol. 1, The Late Pleistocene. Stephen C. Porter, ed. Planning and Ecology. R. D. Roberts and T. M. Roberts, eds. Regionalism and the Pacific Northwest. William G. Robbins, Robert J. Frank, and Richard E. Ross, eds. Environment and Health. Anthony J. Rowland and Paul Cooper. Sunbelt/Snowbelt: Urban Development and Regional Restructuring. Larry Sawers and William K. Tabb, eds. The Bad Earth. Environmental Degradation in China. Vaclav Smil. Armonk, NY: Voyage into Substance: Art, Science, Nature, and the Illustrated Travel Account, 1760–1840. Barbara Maria Stafford. The Institute of British Geographers: The First Fifty Years. Robert W. Steel. Visions of the Past. Christopher Taylor and Richard Muir. Glacial Lake Agassiz. J. T. Teller and Lee Clayton, eds. The Tule Breakers: The Story of the California Dredge. John Thompson and Edward A. Dutra. The Balkan City 1400–1900. Nikolai Todorov. Explanation, Prediction and Planning: the Lowry model. Michael J. Webber. Mercedes Reales: Hispanic Land Grants of the Upper Rio Grande Region. Victor Westphall. The World Atlas of Revolutions. Andrew J. M. Wheatcroft. The West European City, A Social Geography. Paul White. Urban Elites and Mass Transportation. J. Allen Whitt. Princeton, NJ: Urban Life In Contemporary China. Martin King Whyte and William L. Parish. The Demand for Energy in the Soviet Union. David Wilson. London and Canberra: Rethinking Geographical Inquiry. J. David Wood, ed.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Book Reviewed in this article: Redundant Spaces in Cities and Regions? Studies in Industrial Decline and Social Change . J. Anderson, S. Duncan and R. Hudson. eds. The Social Consequences and Challenges of New Agricultural Technologies . Gigi M. Berardi and Charles C. Geisler, eds. Determinants of Fertility in Developing Countries, Vol. I, Supply and Demand for Children . Rodolfo A. Bultao and Ronald D. Lee, eds. Computer Mapping: Progress in the‘80s . James R. Carter. Washington: Colonial Africa . A. J. Christopher. Geography of the Soviet Union . J. P. Cole. Chicago Mapmakers, Essays on the Rise of the City's Map Trade . Michael P. Conzen, ed. Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists and the Ecology of New England . William Cronon. Mizner's Florida: American Resort Architecture . Donald W. Curl. Geographical Studies on the Soviet Union: Essays in Honor of Chauncy D. Harris . George Demko and Roland J. Fuchs, eds. Fluvial Hydrology . S. Lawrence Dingman. Pueblo Indian Water Rights: Struggle For a Precious Resource . Charles T. DuMars, Marilyn O'Leary and Albert E. Utton. Women in the Cities of Asia: Migration and Urban Adaptation . James T. Fawcett, Siew-Ean Khoo, and Peter C. Smith, eds. America's National Parks and Their Keepers . Ronald A. Foresta. Neighborhood Revitalization and the Postindustrial City . Dennis E. Gale. China in Canada: A Dialogue on Resources and Development . R. Louis Gentilcore, ed. China: The 80s Era . Norton Ginsburg and Bernard A. Lalor, eds. Boulder, CO: Global Resources: Challenges of Interdependence . Martin I. Glassner, ed. River Networks . Texas: A Geography . Terry G. Jordan with John L. Bean, Jr. and William M. Holmes. The American Frontier: An Archaeological Study of Settlement Pattern and Process . Kenneth E. Lewis. Water Resources, Geography and Law . Olen Paul Matthews. A Field Guide to American Houses . Virginia and Lee McAlester. Population: Patterns, Dynamics, and Prospects . James L. Newman and Gordon E. Matzke. Wood, Brick, and Stone, The North American Settlement Landscape, Vol. 1: Houses . Allen G. Noble. Historical Analysis in Geography . William Norton. The Displaced Worker and Community Response: Case Study of Portsmouth, Scioto County, Ohio . H. Milton Patton and Janet W. Patton. Disaster Management: Warning Response and Community Relocation . Ronald W. Perry and Alvin H. Muskatel. The Anthropology of Space: Explorations into the Natural Philosophy and Semantics of the Navajo . Rik Pinxten, Ingrid van Dooren, and Frank Harvey. What STYLE Is It? A Guide To American Architecture . John C. Poppeliers, S. Allen Chambers, Jr., and Nancy B. Schwartz. Appalachia: A Regional Geography—Land, People and Development . Karl Raitz and Richard Ulack. An Introduction to Urban Geography . John R. Short. Ford, A Village in the West Highlands of Scotland: A Case Study of Repopulation and Social Change in a Small Community . John B. Stephenson. Income and Jobs: USA Diagnosing the Reality . George Sternlieb and James W. Hughes. Weather and Climate of the Antarctic . W. Schwerdtfeger. History and Ecology: Studies of the Grassland, James C. Malin . Robert P. Swierenga, ed. Optimal Control of Spatial Systems . K. C. Tan and R. J. Bennett. Social Science and Revolutions . Stan Taylor. The Global Textile Industry . Brian Toyne, Jeffrey S. Arpan, David A. Ricks, Terence A. Shimp and Andy Barnett. Integrated Water Development: Water Use and Conservation Practice in Western Colorado . James L. Wescoat, Jr. Proceedings of the First International Symposium on Maps and Graphics for the Visually Handicapped . Joseph W. Wiedel, ed.