Magma storage and transport during recent eruptions of El Hierro (Canary Islands)

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The submarine 2011/2012 El Hierro eruption was a lucky chance for geosciences. The detailed monitoring of pre- and syn-eruptive seismicity and deformation allowed for a reconstruction of magma movement at depth. During eruption a number of glassy basalts that are suitable for geothermobarometry could be sampled. We propose petrological investigations of these basalts to determine the depths of magma storage and transport and to compare them to the seismic data, which is a novel approach for the Canary Islands. This will for the first time permit the validation of petrologically based models of magma plumbing beneath intraplate volcanoes such as El Hierro and La Palma. In addition barometric investigations of prehistoric subaerial basalts shall be carried out and the data compared to the depths of the actual eruption. The results of the proposed project will help to assess the validity of geobarometric data from previous and future studies at other volcanoes, which is a prerequisite for a better understanding of these volcanoes and for hazard assessment during future seimic crises.