Abstract
MOST geologists working on the Canary Islands (Figs. 1 and 2) believed that the individual islands were conneeted to one another and to the African continent during the Tertiary period1–7. Biologists seem to have agreed unanimously with this view7–9. Recent evidence, however, shows that the hypothesis of a continuous Canarian landmass during the Tertiary should be abandoned. Geological evidence from the eastern island of Fuerte-ventura indicates that this and the island of Lanzarote are underlain by continental crust. Gran Canaria, on the other hand, and possibly the other western islands as well, seem to be oceanic in origin.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Hausen, H., Soc. Sci. Fenn. Comm. Phys. Math., 18, 1 (1956).
Hausen, H., Soc. Sci. Fenn. Comm. Phys. Math., 22, 1 (1958).
Hausen, H., Soc. Sci. Fenn. Comm. Phys. Math., 23, 4 (1959).
Hausen, H., Soc. Sci. Fenn. Comm. Phys. Math., 27, 1 (1962).
Bravo, T., Geografia General de las Islas Canarias, 1 (Goya Ediciones, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 1954).
Bravo, T., Geografia General de las Islas Canarias, 2 (Goyn Ediciones, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 1964).
Lundblad, O., Zool. Bidr., 25, 201 (1947).
Jeannel, R. G., La génèse de Faunes Terrestres (Bibliothèque de l'Institut Maritime et Colonial, 1942).
Evers, A. M. J., Entomol. Bl., 60, 181 (1964).
Fúster Casas, J. M., and Aguilar Tomás, M. J., Estud. Geolog., 21, 181 (1965).
Rothe, P., Geol. Rdsch., 58 (1968).
Gagel, C., Handb. Reg. Geol., 7, 10 (1910).
Fritsch, K. V., Petermanns Mitt. Erg. Bd., 5, 221 (1867).
Bourcart, J., and Jérémine, E., Bull. Volcanol., Sér. II, 4 (1938).
Rothe, P., Die Naturwiss., 54, 366 (1967).
Rothe, P., Umschau, 4, 116 (1968).
Rothe, P., N. Jb. Mineral. Mh., 1967, 71 (1967).
Rothe, P., Natur u. Museum, 94, 175 (1964).
Hernandez-Pacheco, E., Mem. Real. Soc. Esp. Hist. Nat., 6, 107 (1909).
Schmincke, H.-U., Bull. Volcanol., 31, 153 (1967).
Watkins, N. D., Richardson, A., and Mason, R. G., Earth and Planet. Sci. Lett., 1, 471 (1966).
Schmincke, H.-U., Geol. Mitt. (1968).
Abdel-Monem, A., Watkins, N. D., and Gast, P. W., Amer. Geophys. Trans., 48, 226 (1967).
Krejci-Graf, K., Geol. Rdsch., 51, 73 (1961).
Rothe, P., Natur u. Museum, 94, 1 (1964).
Rothe, P., Soc. Sci. Fenn. Comm. Phys.-Math., 31, 13 (1966).
Bourcart, J., and Jérémine, E., Bull. Volcanol., Sér. II, 2 (1937).
Klug, H., Jb. Ver. Freund. Univ. Mainz, 1963, 39 (1963).
Bailey, D. K., and Schairer, J. F., J. Petrol., 7, 114 (1966).
Schmincke, H.-U., and Swanson, D. A., N. Jb. Geol. Palaont. Mh., 1966, 260 (1966).
Fritsch, K. V., and Reiss, W., Geologische Beschreibung der Insel Tenerife (Wurster, 1868).
Schmincke, H.-U., and Swanson, D. A., J. Geol., 75, 641 (1967).
Schmincke, H.-U., and Swanson, D. A., N. Jb. Geol. Paläont. Mh., 1967, 700 (1967).
Ridley, W. I., Nature, 213, 5 (1967).
Atkins, F. B., Baker, P. E., Bell, J. D., and Smith, D. G. W., Nature, 204, 722 (1964).
McBirney, R., and Gass, I. G., Earth and Planet. Sci. Lett., 2, 265 (1967).
Schmincke, H.-U., Cuadernos de Botanica, 2, 19 (1967); Die Naturwiss., 55, 185 (1968).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
ROTHE, P., SCHMINCKE, HU. Contrasting Origins of the Eastern and Western Islands of the Canarian Archipelago. Nature 218, 1152–1154 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1038/2181152b0
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/2181152b0
This article is cited by
-
Heterogeneous vesiculation of 2011 El Hierro xeno-pumice revealed by X-ray computed microtomography
Bulletin of Volcanology (2016)
-
Gravity analysis offshore the Canary Islands from a systematic survey
Marine Geophysical Researches (2003)
-
Geoid anomalies over the Canary Islands Group
Marine Geophysical Researches (1989)
-
New K-Ar ages, chemical analyses and magnetic data of rocks from the islands of santa maria (azores), porto santo and madeira (madeira archipelago) and gran canaria (Canary Islands)
Bulletin Volcanologique (1981)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
