Edades C-14 del rift Ono de El Hierro (Islas Canarias)

Abstract

New radiocarbon ages from the island of El Hierro confirm significant eruptive activity of the WNW rift zone during the Holocene. Therefore, the three arms of the triple-rift system controlling the growth of this island appear to be equally active during this period. The predictable development of the island, still in a very early phase of the shield stage of growth, will progress towards the completion of a third basaltic shield volcano on top of the previous Tiñor and El Golfo shields. This validates the crucial role played by rift zones in the construction of oceanic islands, as extensively documented in the Hawaiian and Canarian archipelagos.