An 1888 Volcanic Collapse Becomes a Benchmark for Tsunami Models

When volcanic mountains slide into the sea, they trigger tsunamis. How big are these waves, and how far away can they do damage? Ritter Island provides some answers.

The origin of some collapse structures in the Canary Islands

SummaryThree large collapse structures, two bounded by straight, vertical escarpments and curved head regions, are described from Tenerife. Similar structures appear to exist on Hierro and La Palma. Their size precludes landsliding as the dominant force in their formation, although it may have played a minor role in modifying the bounding walls. It is suggested that these structures are true volcanic collapse features developed by a ‘trap-door’ type of mechanism. The lack of classical caldera shapes appears to be a reflection of a lack of well-defined central volcanism on any of the islands, the collapses probably resulting from migration of magma away from the central rift-zones towards the flanks of the islands.