Physiographic and geological setting Sample Clauses

Physiographic and geological setting. ‌ The Volterra test area is characterized by a typically hilly morphology, with moderate relief and gentle slopes.

Physiographic and geological setting. ‌ Tenerife Tenerife is located in the central area of the Archipelago, between 27º 59’ 59’’ N and 28º 35’ 15’’ N and 16º 50’ 27’’ W and 16º 55’ 40’’ W. It is the larger island with a surface of 2.057 km2 and also the most populated. Its highest point, Mount Teide, with an elevation of 3.718 m (12,198 ft) above sea level, is the highest point in all of Spain, and is also the third largest volcano in the world from its base at the bottom of the sea. The origin of its magmatism is still controversial and several hypotheses, including a mantle plume hotspot (Xxxxxx et al., 1991; Xxxxxxx and Xxxxxxxx, 1993; Xxxxxxxxx et al., 1998), a local extensional ridge model (Fúster, 1975), and an uplifted tectonic block model (Xxxxx and Xxxxx, 1986), have been mooted to explain its geological features. Petrological, geophysical, and geochemical evidence from its sub- lithospheric mantle have even provided evidence for other possible explanations including those reported by Xxxxxxx and Xxxxxx (2000), who unify in a single model thermal mantle anomaly features and the critical role of regional fractures and tectonic forces at the onset of magmatic activity. The uneven and steep orography of the island and its variety of climates have resulted in a diversity of landscapes and geographical and geological formations, from the Teide National Park with its extensive pine forests juxtaposed against the volcanic landscape at the summit of Teide and Malpaís de Güímar, to the Acantilados de Los Gigantes (Cliffs of the Giants) with its vertical precipices (Figure 13). The principal structures in Tenerife make the central highlands, with the Teide–Pico Viejo complex and the Las Cañadas areas, as the most prominent area with a surface of 130 km2. Las Cañadas caldera was formed by vertical collapses produced after intense explosive volcanic activity (Xxxxx et al., 1997; Xxxxx and Xxxxxxxxxx, 2000). The area is partially occupied by the Teide-Pico Viejo strato-volcano and completed by the materials emitted in the different eruptions that took place. The Teide is one of the 16 Decade Volcanoes identified by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI) as being worthy of particular study in light of their history of large, destructive eruptions and proximity to populated areas.