The Last 2 ky of Eruptive Activity of the Teide Volcanic Complex: Features and Trends

Abstract

Volcanic activity, involving both mafic and felsic eruptions, has been relatively frequent in the Teide Volcanic Complex over the last 2,000 years. Moderately explosive phonolitic events were endured by the aborigines, the most relevant being the Montaña Blanca subplinian event and the last summit eruption of Teide some 1,240 years ago. An eruption reported by Christopher Columbus, while passing the island in 1492, generally thought to relate to the latest eruption of Teide’s summit, has been determined by radiometric dating to have occurred on the NW rift zone. This increases the number of Tenerife’s eruptions during recorded historical time to five (1492, 1705, 1706, 1798, and 1909). Relationships and distribution of lava types show two main regimes at play; the basanite fed rift zones and the phonolite dominated central complex.