The Teide Volcanic Complex: Physical Environment and Geomorphology

Abstract

Teide volcano, nested inside the Las Cañadas Caldera, offers visitors a view on one of the most dramatic landscapes in the world. This is due to a combination of a long volcanic history that ranges from the Quaternary Las Cañadas volcano to the historical Teide lava flows, as well as to the particular climatic and geomorphological setting in which Tenerife lies. In this chapter we review the morphological imprint of the main volcanic and structural features (massive flank failures, Teide stratovolcano and rift-zone growth) as well as the Late Pleistocene and Holocene non-volcanic landforms (aeolian and periglacial landforms, debris flows and alluvial fans), which provide a useful record of the morphodynamic history of Tenerife and the variable climate influences to which it is subject.