The oceanic Cordillera of hotspot of the Canary - 2 - some seamounts.

Everything concerning the submarine volcanism is little accessible to observation of ordinary volcanophiles, which should refer to oceanographic institutes for this exploration.

The underwater volcanic structures of the Canary Islands have recently been highlighted by the IEO during the submarine eruption off the Restingua / El Hierro.

3D bathymetry of the submarine volcano south of La Restingua / El Hierro - Doc. 7-8.02.2012 / IEO

Location of underwater volcanoes in southern Canaries - the dotted red line marks the "Cordillera oceánica punto caliente Canarias" - the area bounded in black is the area studied in the project Exarcan / campaign Drago 0511 - in Informe Científico-Técnico of Campaña oceanográfica DRAGO 0511 - Vasquez et al.

The Exarcan project provides an access to bathymetries and samples on seamounts and peaks located in the southwest of the Canary Islands, Hijas, Bimbache (Hierro or Echo norte), Echo (or Endeavour) Paps, Drago and Tropic and to a lesser elevation field compound of Malpaso, Pelicar, Tortuga and Infinito.

Las Hijas saemounts, or " the girls" as a group of three submarine volcanoes, dated of 141 Ma, two of which are linked by a ridge-like structure. The largest, located at 27 ° 07 'N / 18 ° 37' W, measured at the base 10 km. on 8, and rises from -3.800 within -2,200 meters. Its neighbor to the northeast, has a basal diameter of 3 km and exceeds the seabed of 400 meters. The third, mid-size, is located in the southwest of the largest and has a basal diameter of 4 km. and a height of 650 meters for a volume of 2 cubic km.

(Las Hijas seamounts, the next Canary island - by R.Rhim & al.1998)

Bimbache seamount - 3D bathymetry / in Informe Científico-Técnico of Campaña oceanográfica DRAGO 0511 - Vasquez et al.

The seamount Bimbache, also called Echo norte / Hierro - 26 ° 2.46'N / 18 ° 39.56'O - has a north-south oriented direction, 36.03 km on 13.62 km, with an area of 490. km², with a morphology of crest or ridge, characterized by a maximum difference in height. 2.700 meters and slope max 69 °. The dating of the Hierroridge is 133 Ma, much older than the island of El Hierro, from 1.1 to 0 Ma.

Echo sur seamount - 3D bathymetry / in Informe Científico-Técnico of Campaña oceanográfica DRAGO 0511 - Vasquez et al.

Echo sur seamount, also called Endeavour - 25 ° 22.34 'N / 19 ° 25.26' W - is a guyot sub-circular, in shape of a truncated cone, with an area of 1,406.5 km². Its slopes are 36 ° max.,  traversed by canyons. His plan top left more than a few small irregular cones, and its side is a scar of a possible debris avalanche.

"The Paps" seamount consists of two very different sectors oriented roughly NW-SE. - bathymetry 3D / in Informe Científico-Técnico of Campaña oceanográfica DRAGO 0511 - Vasquez et al.

"The Paps" seamount - 25 ° 55.26 'N / 20 ° 21.61 W - consists of two very different sectors oriented roughly NW-SE.

Large of 38 to 17 km, for a total length of 90.8 km, its area is 2,150 km². .The Northern sector has a pronounced cone and a semi-flat top, secondary cones, debris avalanche scars and deposits on its western part.


To be continued ...

Sources :

- Avcan noticias – El otro archipielago sumergido de Canarias - link

- Informe Científico Técnico de la Campaña DRAGO 0511 - by Vázquez & al. .- link

- Las Hijas seamounts, the next Canary island ? – by R.Rhim & al. 1998 – link