About a year ago, the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano in The Palm left a deep mark not only in human and economic termsbut also in the opportunity to bring the general public closer to one of the most outstanding theories in geology to explain the origin of the Canary archipelago: the “Canary Islands hot spot” theory.
According to this theory, under the Canary Islands, on the African tectonic plate, there could exist a “hot spot” located about 1,500 kilometers deep.
In this place, a magma rich in gases and heavy metals, which is warmer than the surrounding magma, rises to the surface in the form of a plume, giving rise to the formation of volcanoes in an explosive manner, like what happened on La Palma during the eruption.
National Geographic
In an episode of National Geographic’s “Awaken Your Curiosity” podcast, this theory is not only detailed but also the name of the two Canary Islands is mentioned that, if some scientific or natural event does not intervene, could disappear before the others. These two islands are the oldest, Fuerteventura and Lanzarotewhich were formed about 20 million years ago and have been exposed to erosion for a longer period due to their exposure to strong winds and waves.
It is estimated that Fuerteventura could disappear in approximately 100,000 years, while Lanzarote could take about 200,000 years to suffer the same fate. Nevertheless, These periods could be shortened if climate change accelerates erosion processes.
All the Canary Islands face the threat of erosion, although to a lesser extent. islands like Gran Canaria, Tenerife, The Palm, La Gomera and The iron They are younger and are made of more resistant rocks, which gives them greater longevity in geological terms. Sooner or later, these islands too will experience a similar fate.with the eventual submergence into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, a perspective that reveals the constant geological dynamics of this archipelago.
