Volcanic Geology of São Miguel Island (Azores Archipelago)
The Azores archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean is composed of nine volcanic islands and São Miguel is the largest and most volcanically active. During the past 5000 years several eruptions have taken place on the three active central volcanoes – Sete Cidades, Fogo and Furnas – and in the basaltic fissure systems of Picos and Congro. There is evidence that Furnas was in eruption when the first settlers arrived some time between 1439 and 1443. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries there were two explosive sub-Plinian eruptions, Fogo in 1563 and Furnas in 1630. The last eruption on land occurred in the Picos Fissural Volcanic System in 1652, involving the extrusion of lava domes. In 22 chapters, this volume considers the volcanic geology of the island under the headings of geological setting, volcanic history, geological hazards and risk assessment, volcano monitoring and natural resources.
Eruptive frequency and volcanic hazards zonation in São Miguel Island, Azores Available to Purchase
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Published:January 01, 2015
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CiteCitation
J. L. Gaspar, J. E. Guest, G. Queiroz, J. Pacheco, A. Pimentel, A. Gomes, R. Marques, A. Felpeto, T. Ferreira, N. Wallenstein, 2015. "Eruptive frequency and volcanic hazards zonation in São Miguel Island, Azores", Volcanic Geology of São Miguel Island (Azores Archipelago), J. L. Gaspar, J. E. Guest, A. M. Duncan, F. J. A. S. Barriga, D. K. Chester
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Abstract
São Miguel Island comprises five active volcanic systems, including three central volcanoes with calderas and two basaltic fissure systems. Volcanic eruptions in São Miguel are of basaltic and trachytic nature (s.l.), including Hawaiian, Strombolian, sub-Plinian, Plinian and Vulcanian events, the more explosive ones frequently including hydromagmatic phases. Large Plinian eruptions are related to caldera-forming events that occurred in the past. With reference to the Fogo A stratigraphic marker, a total of 73 individual volcanic eruptions have been identified in the last 5 ka, giving a recurrence interval of 68.5 years. Taking into account that only six events have occurred in historical times, the recurrence interval increases to 95 years and, clearly, a future event is overdue because the most recent eruption occurred in 1652. It should be noted, however, that some volcanic eruptions in the past have occurred in clusters.
The eruptive frequencies of the last 5 ka of activity have been determined for all types of eruptions and related hazards, including lava flows, pyroclastic falls, pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) and lahars. The areas susceptible to volcanic products have been mapped and modelled under different eruptive conditions.
