How and why small volcanic ocean islands collapse and move vertically up and down.

ABSTRACT: Mass controls two major processes in volcanic islands: large-scale collapse and vertical movements. Therefore, large islands like Hawaii are gradually subsiding and have undergone massive landsliding. What if the mass is much smaller, and there is good evidence that the vertical movement is more complex than simple loading-related subsidence? Here, we show that small volcanic islands, seemingly stable because of the small mass, can undergo sector collapses that can affect the vertical movement of the island. Santa Maria Island (Azores) is ca. 170 times smaller than Hawaii; however, it has collapsed more than once, as inferred from new onshore and marine geophysical data. From the vertical distribution of submarine and subaerial lavas, we can infer a complex subsidence and uplift history (s

SUBMITTER: Marques FO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11782677 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature