Three volcanoes submarines have been discovered at North of the Canary Islands, which they will call The Atlanteans, in reference to the paid salary located in the Atlantic. This research, coordinated by the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME-CSIC), arises from the Atlantis project which takes place in the submarine called Sarmiento de Gamboafrom the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). These volcanoes could be related to the eruptions of Timanfaya and others are believed to have been islands in the Eocene, between 56 and 34 million years ago.
In the past they were islands that sank
According to the CSIC, they were islands in the past and they have sunk, they are still sinking. Some of us have been able to confirm that They still maintain their beaches, says the geologist and project coordinator, Luis Somoza. This research group is the same one that discovered the called grandmothers, seamounts south of the Canary Islands that are considered ancestors of the archipelago.
This research has been divided into two phases. The first, recent volcanoes were studied, such as those lava deltas of the Tagoro or Tajogaite volcano, in El Hierro and La Palma, respectively. The second part, has been dedicated to the mothers, located to the north, which are those that gave rise to the archipelago and where the mountain has been discovered that It is proposed to call The Atlanteans.
Between 2,500 and 100 meters deep explored
This discovery is one of the greatest achievements of the campaign, which began on June 27 and ends on August 6, according to the CSIC. For this purpose, the unmanned submarine ROV 6000 Luso, with which The environment around the archipelago has been examined between 2,500 and 100 meters deepThe objective is to detect signs of submarine, magmatic and hydrothermal activity in the archipelago.
The images obtained They reflect the vast amount of life that exists on the seabed after the underwater flows formed the lava deltas, also verifying how the underwater life is being reborn after recent eruptions with new gardens of corals and sponges, or areas covered with bacterial mats next to hydrothermal vents, according to scientists. Some of Lava flows reach more than 1,200 meters deep and, as its outer layer cools, tubes are formed that allow flow hot over the slopes, creating impressive pipes at great depths.
The campaign also analyzes the environmental processes and of formation of underwater minerals under extreme conditions, where microorganisms promote the biomineralization of metals such as manganese, cobalt, phosphates or rare earths; all of them so important in the energy transition, says the CSIC. The Atlantis investigation could be of great value utility in dealing with risks of a future underwater eruption in the Canary Islands, explains the CSIC.
Several universities collaborate on the project
The project is led and coordinated by researchers Luis Somoza y Javier Gonzalez, from the Marine Geological Resources and Extreme Environments group of IGME-CSIC. Participating specialists from the Complutense University of Madrid, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, now (Portugal) and Lisboa, In addition to the Volcanological Institute of the Canary Islands (INVOLCAN) from Tenerife, the Hydrographic Institute of the Navy and the EMEPC of Portugal.
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