Debris Avalanche Deposits on the Flanks of the Canary Islands: Contrasts Between El Hierro and Tenerife

Abstract

Landslide scars and deposits occur widely on the flanks of the Canary Islands and it is now accepted that landsliding plays a major role in the evolution of these islands (Watts and Masson 1995; Masson 1996; Urgeles et al. 1997, 1999; Masson et al. 1998; Gee et al., in press; Watts and Masson, in press; Masson et al., in press) (Fig. 1–Fig. 3). Most Canaries landslides take the form of debris avalanches, although slumps and debris flows also occur (Masson et al., in press).Fig. 1.Summary of landslides on the flanks of El Hierro, La Palma and Tenerife. Variable grey shading of debris avalanche areas is used only to distinguish the different deposits. EG El Golfo embayment on El HierroFig. 2.3D image, derived from swath bathymetry data, of the El Golfo landslide scar and deposit on the northwest flank of El Hierro, viewed from the westFig. 3.3D image of the north flank of Tenerife, derived from swath bathymetry data, viewed from the northwest. A strong morphological contrast between the stable slope in the east and the area affected by multiple landslides in the west is clearly visible