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On 2029 April 13, asteroid Apophis will pass within six times of the Earth's radius (∼31 000 km above the surface) in the closest approach of this asteroid in recorded history. This event provides unique scientific opportunities to study the asteroid, its orbit, and surface characteristics at an exceptionally close distance. In this paper, we perform a novel synthetic geometrical, geographical, and temporal analysis of the conditions under which the asteroid can be observed from the Earth with a particular emphasis on the conditions and scientific opportunities for bistatic radar observations, the most feasible radar technique applicable during such a close approach. For this purpose, we compile a list of present and future radio observatories or radio facilities around the globe, which could participate in bistatic radar observation campaigns during the close approach of Apophis. We estimate signal-to-noise ratios, apparent sky rotation, surface coverage, and other observing conditions. We find that a global collaboration of observatories across Australia, Africa, Europe, and America will produce high-resolution delay-Doppler radar images with signal-to-noise ratios above 108, while covering ∼85 per cent of the asteroid surface. Moreover, if properly coordinated, the extreme approach of the asteroid might allow for radio amateur detection of the signals sent by large radio observatories, and citizen science projects could then be organized. We also find that for visual observations, the Canary Islands will offer the best observing conditions during the closest approach, both for professionals as well as for amateurs. The apparent size of Apophis will be 2–3 times larger than typically seeing, allowing for resolved images of the surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first release of GTC OSIRIS broad-band data archive. This is an effort conducted in the framework of the Spanish Virtual Observatory to help optimize science from the Gran Telescopio Canarias Archive. Data Release 1 includes 6788 broad-band images in the Sloan griz filters obtained between 2009 April and 2014 January and the associated catalogue with roughly 6.23 million detections of more than 630 000 unique sources. The catalogue contains standard PSF and Kron aperture photometry with a mean accuracy better than 0.09 and 0.15 mag, respectively. The relative astrometric residuals are always better than 30 mas and better than 15 mas in most cases. The absolute astrometric uncertainty of the catalogue is of 0.12 arcsec. In this paper we describe the procedure followed to build the image archive and the associated catalogue, as well as the quality tests carried out for validation. To illustrate some of the scientific potential of the catalogue, we also provide two examples of its scientific exploitation: discovery and identification of asteroids and cool dwarfs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study whether the variability introduced in the Canary region by the Canary Islands on perturbing the general flow of the Canary Current and trade winds, and by the Northwest African upwelling, is manifested in the mesozooplankton biomass distribution and ichthyoplankton population. Two transects were sampled and two stations were occupied for 24 h during the first part of the cruise Canarias 9110. One transect and one station were located to the north, upstream of the Canary Islands, in the ‘non-perturbed’ zone, and the other transect and station were to the south, downstream of the islands, in the ‘perturbed’ zone. Oceanographic conditions, as represented by the vertical temperature structure, changed both latitudinally, between upstream unperturbed and downstream perturbed conditions, and longitudinally, between upwelling and oceanic situations. However, differences were evident only in mesozooplankton biomass and in the latitudinal sense. Likewise, the results obtained suggest that (i) there is an interconnection between the neritic fish populations of the Macaronesian archipelagos, in a north–south sense and in a southerly direction, by means of the transport of fish larvae by the Azores and Canary currents, and (ii) this interconnection could affect both those species whose larvae are well adapted for a long survival in the pelagic environment, possessing morphological specializations, and those whose larvae do not present these characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We report on the analysis of M2 ocean tide loading (OTL) kinematic GPS vertical displacement and tidal gravity measurements using 26 GPS and four gravimetric sites across the Canary Islands archipelago. In this region, the standard deviation among recent ocean tide models is lower than 0.4 cm in amplitude and 0.3° in phase, which are suitably accurate for displacement modelling. However, for gravity we need to model regional ocean tides to achieve enough accuracy in the loading calculations. Particularly, this study improves the predicted OTL gravity variations when global ocean models are replaced with the regional model CIAM2 which assimilates local tide gauge data. These small ocean tide model errors allow us to use the differences between observed and predicted OTL values to study the elastic and anelastic properties of the solid Earth around the Canary Islands. In the prediction of OTL, we first used the recent elastic STW105 and S362ANI seismic models, obtaining average observed minus predicted residuals of 1.2–1.3 mm for vertical displacement and 3 nm s−2 for gravity. After the STW105 and S362ANI models were adjusted for anelasticity, by considering a constant quality factor Q at periods ranging from 1 s to 12.42 hr, the average misfit between observations and predicted OTL values reduced to 0.7–0.8 mm for vertical displacement and to 1 nm s−2 for gravity. However, the average vertical displacement misfit is made up from site misfits less than 0.5 mm in western islands but for the easternmost islands of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, they still reach up to nearly 2 mm at some sites, which still exceeds the uncertainty in the GPS observations. It is hypothesized that mantle upwelling underneath the Canary Islands, creating spatial variations in the elastic properties, causes the large residuals observed in the eastern islands. We reduced the shear modulus by up to 35 per cent in the upper mantle layer of 24.4–220 km depth. This produced residual observed minus model differences of about 0.7 mm for the sites on Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, comparable to the results obtained for the GPS sites across the rest of the archipelago, whose residuals in turn were also slightly reduced through the VS velocity and shear modulus reductions (by 0.2 mm on average). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anagenetic speciation is an important mode of evolution in oceanic islands, yet relatively understudied compared to adaptive radiation. In the Macaronesian region, three closely related species of Artemisia (i.e. A. argentea , A. thuscula and A. gorgonum) are each endemic from a single archipelago (i.e. Madeira, Canary Islands and Cape Verde, respectively), representing a perfect opportunity to study three similar but independent anagenetic speciation processes. By analysing plastid and nuclear DNA sequences, as well as nuclear DNA amount data, generated from a comprehensive sampling in all the islands and archipelagos where these species are currently distributed, we intend to find common evolutionary patterns that help us explain the limited taxonomic diversification experienced by endemic Macaronesian Artemisia. Our time-calibrated phylogenetic reconstruction suggested that divergence among the three lineages occurred in a coincidental short period of time during the Pleistocene. Haplotype and genetic differentiation analyses showed similar diversity values among A. argentea , A. thuscula and A. gorgonum. Clear phylogeographic patterns—showing comparable genetic structuring among groups of islands—were also found within the three archipelagos. Even from the cytogenetic point of view, the three species presented similarly lower genome size values compared to the mainland closely related species A. arborescens. We hypothesize that the limited speciation experienced by the endemic Artemisia in Madeira, Canary Islands and Cape Verde archipelagos could be related to their recent parallel evolutionary histories as independent lineages, combined with certain shared characteristics of seed dispersal, pollen transport and type of habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mid-plate upward mantle flow is a key component of global mantle convection, but its patterns are poorly constrained. Seismic anisotropy is the most direct way to infer mantle flow as well as melt distribution, yet the convection patterns associated with plume-like mantle upwelling are understudied due to limited seismic data coverage. Here, we investigate seismic anisotropy beneath the Madeira and Canary hotspots using a dense set of shear wave splitting observations and combining teleseismic and local events recorded by three-component broad-band and short-period seismic stations. Using a total of 26 stations in the Madeira archipelago and 43 stations around the Canary Islands, we obtain 655 high-quality measurements that reveal heterogeneous flow patterns. Although local event results are sparse around most islands, we can observe a small average of S -wave splitting times of 0.16 ± 0.01 s, which significantly increase with source depth beneath El Hierro (>20 km) and Tenerife (>38 km) up to 0.58 ± 0.01 and 0.47 ± 0.05 s. This suggests an influence of melt pocket orientation in magma reservoirs developed at uppermost-mantle depths. Likewise, anisotropy increases significantly beneath the islands with shield stage volcanism (up to 9.81 ± 1.78 per cent at El Hierro, western Canaries, against values up to 1.76 ± 0.73 per cent at Lanzarote, eastern Canaries). On average, teleseismic SKS -wave splitting delay times are large (2.19 ± 0.05 s), indicating sublithospheric mantle flow as the primary source for anisotropy in the region. In the Canaries, the western islands show significantly smaller average SKS delay times (1.93 ± 0.07 s) than the eastern ones (2.25 ± 0.11 s), which could be explained by destructive interference above the mantle upwelling. Despite complex patterns of fast polarization directions throughout both regions, some azimuthal pattern across close stations can be observed and related to present-day mantle flow and anisotropy frozen in the lithosphere since before 60 Ma. Additionally, we infer that the current presence of a mantle plume beneath the archipelagos leads to the associated complex, small-scale heterogeneous anisotropy observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims The Canary Islands have strong floristic affinities with the Mediterranean Basin. One of the most characteristic and diverse vegetation belts of the archipelago is the thermophilous woodland (between 200 and 900 m.a.s.l.). This thermophilous plant community consists of many non-endemic species shared with the Mediterranean Floristic Region together with Canarian endemic species. Consequently, phytogeographic studies have historically proposed the hypothesis of an origin of the Canarian thermophilous species following the establishment of the summer-dry mediterranean climate in the Mediterranean Basin around 2.8 million years ago. Methods Time-calibrated phylogenies for 39 plant groups including Canarian thermophilous species were primarily analysed to infer colonization times. In particular, we used 26 previously published phylogenies together with 13 new time-calibrated phylogenies (including newly generated plastid and nuclear DNA sequence data) to assess whether the time interval between stem and crown ages of Canarian thermophilous lineages postdates 2.8 Ma. For lineages postdating this time threshold, we additionally conducted ancestral area reconstructions to infer the potential source area for colonization. Key Results A total of 43 Canarian thermophilous lineages were identified from 39 plant groups. Both mediterranean (16) and pre-mediterranean (9) plant lineages were found. However, we failed to determine the temporal origin for 18 lineages because a stem–crown time interval overlaps with the 2.8-Ma threshold. The spatial origin of thermophilous lineages was also heterogeneous, including ancestral areas from the Mediterranean Basin (nine) and other regions (six). Conclusions Our findings reveal an unexpectedly heterogeneous origin of the Canarian thermophilous species in terms of colonization times and mainland source areas. A substantial proportion of the lineages arrived in the Canaries before the summer-dry climate was established in the Mediterranean Basin. The complex temporal and geographic origin of Canarian thermophilous species challenges the view of the Canary Islands (and Madeira) as a subregion within the Mediterranean Floristic Region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Astronomical observations are increasingly limited by light pollution, which is a product of the over-illumination of the night sky. To predict both the angular distribution of scattered light and the ground-reaching radiative fluxes, a set of models has been introduced in recent decades. Two distinct numerical tools, MSNsRAu and ILLUMINA, are compared in this paper, with the aim of identifying their strengths and weaknesses. The numerical experiment comprises the simulation of spectral radiances in the region of the Canary Islands. In particular, the light fields near the Roque de los Muchachos and Teide observatories are computed under various turbidity conditions. It is shown that ILLUMINA has enhanced accuracy at low elevation angles. However, ILLUMINA is time-consuming because of the two scattering orders incorporated into the calculation scheme. Under low-turbidity conditions and for zenith angles smaller than 70° the two models agree well, and thus can be successfully applied to typical cloudless situations at the majority of observatories. MSNsRAu is well optimized for large-scale simulations. In particular, the grid size is adapted dynamically depending on the distance between a light source and a hypothetical observer. This enables rapid numerical modelling for large territories. MSNsRAu is also well suited for the mass modelling of night-sky radiances after ground-based light sources are hypothetically changed. This enables an optimum design of public lighting systems and a time-efficient evaluation of the optical effects related to different lamp spectra or different lamp distributions. ILLUMINA provides two diagnostic geographical maps to help local authorities concerned about light-pollution control. The first map allows the identification of the relative contribution of each ground element to the observed sky radiance at a given viewing angle, while the second map gives the sensitivity, basically saying how each ground element contributes per lumen installed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Canary Islands, an archipelago east of Morocco's Atlantic coast, present steep altitudinal gradients covering various climatic zones from hot deserts to subalpine Mediterranean, passing through fog-influenced cloud forests. Unlike the majority of the Canarian flora, Pinus canariensis C. Sm. ex DC. in Buch grow along most of these gradients, allowing the study of plant functioning in contrasting ecosystems. Here we assess the water sources (precipitation, fog) of P. canariensis and its physiological behavior in its different natural environments. We analyzed carbon and oxygen isotope ratios of water and organics from atmosphere, soil and different plant organs and tissues (including 10-year annual time series of tree-ring cellulose) of six sites from 480 to 1990 m above sea level on the Canary Island La Palma. We found a decreasing δ18O trend in source water that was overridden by an increasing δ18O trend in needle water, leaf assimilates and tree-ring cellulose with increasing altitude, suggesting site-specific tree physiological responses to relative humidity. Fog-influenced and fog-free sites showed similar δ13C values, suggesting photosynthetic activity to be limited by stomatal closure and irradiance at certain periods. In addition, we observed an 18O-depletion (fog-free and timberline sites) and 13C-depletion (fog-influenced and fog-free sites) in latewood compared with earlywood caused by seasonal differences in: (i) water uptake (i.e. deeper ground water during summer drought, fog water frequency and interception) and (ii) meteorological conditions (stem radial growth and latewood δ18O correlated with winter precipitation). In addition, we found evidence for foliar water uptake and strong isotopic gradients along the pine needle axis in water and assimilates. These gradients are likely the reason for an unexpected underestimation of pine needle water δ18O when applying standard leaf water δ18O models. Our results indicate that soil water availability and air humidity conditions are the main drivers of the physiological behavior of pine along the Canary Island's altitudinal gradients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reconstruction of the spatio-temporal diversification and ecological niche evolution of Helianthemum (Cistaceae) in the Canary Islands using genotypingby-sequencing data. Tenerife is the largest, tallest and ecologically most heterogeneous island in the archipelago but certainly not the oldest and nor is it the island closest to the continent; a simple stepping-stone model from nearcontinent to more remote islands is certainly not supported for Helianthemum. A commentary on: 'Reconstruction of the spatio-temporal diversification and ecological niche evolution of Helianthemum (Cistaceae) in the Canary Islands using. [Extracted from the article]

Background and Aims Several biogeographical models have been proposed to explain the colonization and diversification patterns of Macaronesian lineages. In this study, we calculated the diversification rates and explored what model best explains the current distribution of the 15 species endemic to the Canary Islands belonging to Helianthemum sect. Helianthemum (Cistaceae). Methods We performed robust phylogenetic reconstructions based on genotyping-by-sequencing data and analysed the timing, biogeographical history and ecological niche conservatism of this endemic Canarian clade. Key Results Our phylogenetic analyses provided strong support for the monophyly of this clade, and retrieved five lineages not currently restricted to a single island. The pristine colonization event took place in the Pleistocene (~1.82 Ma) via dispersal to Tenerife by a Mediterranean ancestor. Conclusions The rapid and abundant diversification (0.75–1.85 species per million years) undergone by this Canarian clade seems the result of complex inter-island dispersal events followed by allopatric speciation driven mostly by niche conservatism, i.e. inter-island dispersal towards niches featuring similar environmental conditions. Nevertheless, significant instances of ecological niche shifts have also been observed in some lineages, making an important contribution to the overall diversification history of this clade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pop-up archival tags (n  = 16) were deployed on Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABT) off the west coast of Ireland in October and November 2016 (199–246 cm curved fork length), yielding 2799 d of location data and 990 and 989 d of depth and temperature time-series data, respectively. Most daily locations (96%, n  = 2651) occurred east of 45°W, the current stock management boundary for ABT. Key habitats occupied were the Bay of Biscay and the Central North Atlantic, with two migratory patterns evident: an east-west group and an eastern resident group. Five out of six tags that remained attached until July 2017 returned to the northeast Atlantic after having migrated as far as the Canary Islands, the Mediterranean Sea (MEDI) and the Central North Atlantic. Tracked bluefin tuna exhibited a diel depth-use pattern occupying shallower depths at night and deeper depths during the day. Four bluefin tuna visited known spawning grounds in the central and western MEDI, and one may have spawned, based on the recovered data showing oscillatory dives transecting the thermocline on 15 nights. These findings demonstrate the complexity of the aggregation of ABT off Ireland and, more broadly in the northeast Atlantic, highlighting the need for dedicated future research to conserve this important aggregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abralia veranyi and Abraliopsis morisii were the most abundant cephalopods caught during epipelagic and mesopelagic surveys off the Canary Islands and accounted for 26% and 35% of the cephalopod catch, respectively. Diel vertical migration patterns were observed in both species. At night, A. veranyi was recorded at depths as shallow as 38–90 m, whereas Abraliopsis morisii occurred at depths of 98–219 m. As individuals grow in mantle length, their diet changes substantially. Abraliopsis morisii showed ontogenetic shifts at 22.9 mm and 35.3 mm dorsal mantle length (DML), while A. veranyi showed ontogenetic shifts at 20.5 mm and 30.9 mm DML. Prior to the first ontogenic shift, both species fed mainly on copepods and mysids. After this shift they fed on larger prey, such as decapods and fish; the diets of larger individuals also contained cephalopods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous use of anticoccidial treatments against Eimeria infections has resulted in the development of drug resistance. This study aimed to evaluate the anticoccidial efficacy of a methanolic extract derived from the endemic Canary rue (Ruta pinnata) plant of the Canary Islands, Spain, against Eimeria ninakohlyakimovae using in vitro assays. Freshly unsporulated oocysts were exposed to different concentrations of R. pinnata extract and thereafter evaluated for sporulation inhibition. Additionally, anticoccidial activity was examined by testing the viability of the E. ninakohlyakimovae sporozoites and their ability to infect bovine colonic epithelial cells after incubation with different concentrations of R. pinnata plant extract. The inhibition of oocyst sporulation by the extract was both time and concentration dependent, with certain combinations affording the same levels of sporulation inhibition as formaldehyde used as positive control (P < 0.001). Moreover, concentrations >0.1 mg/mL also affected not only the viability of the sporozoites but also their cell invasion capacity (P < 0.001). Altogether, these results show that methanolic fruit extracts from R. pinnata have important anticoccidial activity against oocysts and sporozoites of Eimeria. The potential efficacy of the extracts against other animal/human parasites remains to be elucidated, and further studies are needed to better understand its mode of action against coccidian parasites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The specific spatial distribution and habitat association--strongly influenced by environmental factors or competitive interactions--are major issues in ecology and conservation. We located and georeferenced nesting sites of five cliff-nesting raptors (Egyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus [a locally extinct species], common buzzard Buteo buteo, osprey Pandion haliaetus, common kestrel Falco tinnunculus, Barbary falcon Falco peregrinus pelegrinoides), and common raven Corvus corax on one of the most biodiverse hotspot within the Canary Islands (Teno, Tenerife). We used generalized linear models to evaluate the factors affecting abundance, richness, and intra- and interspecific interactions. Raptor abundance increased with slope, shrub-covered area, and habitat diversity, and decreased with altitude, and forested and grassed areas. Richness increased with slope and decreased with altitude. Threatened species (osprey, Barbary falcon, and raven) occupied cliffs farther away from houses and roads, and more rugged areas than the non-threatened species. The models suggested that the probability of cliff occupation by buzzards, falcons, and ravens depended only on inter-specific interactions. Buzzard occupation increased with the distance to the nearest raven and kestrel nests, whereas falcons and ravens seek proximity to each other. Teno holds between 75% and 100% of the insular breeding populations of the most endangered species (osprey and raven), indicating the high conservation value of this area. Our study suggests that the preservation of rugged terrains and areas of low human pressure are key factors for raptor conservation and provide basic knowledge on the community structure and habitat associations to develop appropriated management actions for these fragile island populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A detailed palaeomagnetic, rock-magnetic and palaeointensity study has been carried out on a Miocene volcanic sequence which consists of 39 consecutive lava flows recording a polarity transition in La Gomera (Canary Islands, Spain). In addition, new 40Ar/39Ar ages were obtained in two flows, yielding 9.63 ± 0.06 Ma in the lower and 9.72 ± 0.08 Ma in the upper part of the sequence. Palaeomagnetic results allowed determining a ChRM direction in all studied lavas: The 25 lowermost flows of the sequence display normal polarity directions and above, a sequence of 14 flows correspond to a transitional geomagnetic regime. If considered together with palaeomagnetic results from a previous study, which were obtained on the flows immediately overlying the upper part of the sequence analysed in this work, these results indicate that the reversal recorded in the Hermigua sequence corresponds to the normal to reverse C4Ar2n to C4Ar3r polarity transition. The lower-lying 25 normal-polarity flows yield a mean direction D = 359.6°, I = 42.4° (α95 = 5.1°; k = 33) which agrees well with the expected values. Above, a sequence of 14 flows displays a more irregular directional behaviour, including several transitional directions, suggesting the occurrence of a precursor to the transition. The presence of a virtual geomagnetic pole (VGP) cluster in the western Atlantic Ocean observed in this study coincides with previous records of Miocene transitions. Interestingly, this region corresponds to a near-radial flux centre of the present-day non axial dipole field. Angular dispersion of VGPs calculated for the 25 lowermost normal polarity flows of the sequence shows a lower than expected result. Palaeointensity determinations were carried out using a Thellier type double heating method. 27 of the 48 analysed samples measured yielded successful results. Mean VDMs mean values range from 1.1 ± 0.5 to 8.8 ± 0.9 × 1022 Am2. The intensity values decrease significantly on approaching the directional transitional zone, suggesting an earlier start of the polarity transition in the intensity record, typical of a decreasing axial dipole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a 3-D model of P and S velocities beneath El Hierro Island, constructed using the traveltime data of more than 13 000 local earthquakes recorded by the Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN, Spain) in the period from 2011 July to 2012 September. The velocity models were performed using the LOTOS code for iterative passive source tomography. The results of inversion were thoroughly verified using different resolution and robustness tests. The results reveal that the majority of the onshore area of El Hierro is associated with a high-velocity anomaly observed down to 10-12-km depth. This anomaly is interpreted as the accumulation of solid igneous rocks erupted during the last 1 Myr and intrusive magmatic bodies. Below this high-velocity pattern, we observe a low-velocity anomaly, interpreted as a batch of magma coming from the mantle located beneath El Hierro. The boundary between the low- and high-velocity anomalies is marked by a prominent seismicity cluster, thought to represent anomalous stresses due to the interaction of the batch of magma with crust material. The areas of recent eruptions, Orchilla and La Restinga, are associated with low-velocity anomalies surrounding the main high-velocity block. These eruptions took place around the island where the crust is much weaker than the onshore area and where the melted material cannot penetrate. These results put constraints on the geological model that could explain the origin of the volcanism in oceanic islands, such as in the Canaries, which is not yet clearly understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A palaeomagnetic study has been carried out in 29 cores drilled at six different sites from the volcanic products of Lomo Negro eruption (El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain). Systematic thermal and alternating field demagnetization of the samples' natural remanent magnetization revealed a northward, stable palaeomagnetic direction similar in all the samples. Rock magnetic experiments indicate that this palaeomagnetic component is carried by a mixture of high-Ti and low-Ti titanomagnetite crystals typical of basaltic lithologies that have experienced a significant degree of oxyexsolution during subaerial cooling. The well constrained palaeomagnetic direction of Lomo Negro lavas was used to perform a palaeomagnetic dating of the volcanic event, using the SHA.DIF.14k global geomagnetic model restricted for the last 3000 yr. It can be unambiguously concluded that Lomo Negro eruption occurred well before the previously proposed date of 1793 AD, with three different age ranges being statistically possible during the last 3 ka: 115 BC-7 AD, 410-626 AD and 1499-1602 AD. The calibration of a previously published non-calibrated 14C dating suggests a XVI c. date for Lomo Negro eruption. This conclusion leaves open the possibility that the seismic crisis occurred at El Hierro in 1793 AD was related to an intrusive magmatic event that either did not reach the surface or either culminated in an unregistered submarine eruption similar to the one occurred in 2011-2012 at the southern off-shore ridge of the island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of petrography, mineral chemistry, geochemistry, and experimental petrology, including mineral–melt thermodynamic and diffusion modelling, on quenched basanitic magma samples from the recent (2011–2012) submarine eruption of El Hierro (Canary Islands) has permitted the identification of major physico-chemical variations prior to and during magma eruption that correlate in time with monitored geophysical changes. After nearly 3 months of seismic unrest the eruption of El Hierro started on October 10, 2011 and ended by late February 2012. We studied 10 lava balloons and pyroclastic fragments collected floating on the sea surface between October 15 and late January. Based on petrological and geophysical data we distinguish two main eruptive episodes. Magma erupted from the beginning of the eruption until late November 2011 was an evolved basanite (≈5 wt % MgO), changing to more primitive compositions (≈8–9 wt % MgO) with time, thus suggesting extraction from a compositionally zoned magma system. Experimental data and mineral–melt thermodynamic modelling indicate that the erupted magma equilibrated at a pressure of about 400 MPa, which corresponds to a depth of 12–15 km. This depth is consistent with the location of the crust–mantle discontinuity beneath El Hierro and with the hypocentral location of seismicity during the unrest episode. Preliminary modelling of the olivine chemical zoning of crystals erupted in this first episode suggests that the time scale for basanite fractionation and magma replenishment in the shallower reservoir was of the order of a few months. This is within the same time frame as the duration of the unrest episode preceding the eruption. The first eruption episode coincided with intense seismicity mostly located north of the island, first at a depth of 20–25 km and a few days later also at 10–15 km depth, with strong seismic tremor beneath the vent site. An abrupt change in magma composition and crystal content was observed at the end of November 2011. After that, more primitive and less viscous magma erupted contemporaneously with a change in the frequency and intensity of seismic events. During this period, seismicity was mostly north of the island at depths of 10–15 km. At the same time the tremor intensity at the eruption site significantly dropped. This marked the onset of the second eruption episode, which is correlated with an intrusion of fresh, more primitive magma into the shallow magmatic system that raised the temperature of the remaining magma. Experiments reveal that subtle changes in temperature of about 50°C (i.e. 1100–1150°C) were enough to produce large changes in the crystal content (10–60 wt %). This non-linear behaviour between crystal content and temperature had important effects on magma dynamics during transport and cooling. Our results suggest the existence of two interconnected mafic magma reservoirs during the El Hierro eruption, which agrees with the pattern shown by the seismicity. Stress readjustments of the plumbing system, caused by decompression during the eruption, influenced the thermodynamic evolution of the erupting magma and facilitated the intrusion of the deeper magma into the shallow reservoir, thus forcing a change in its rheological characteristics and eruption dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY The purpose of this work is to gain insights into the 2011-2012 eruption of El Hierro (Canary Islands) by mapping the evolution of the seismic b-value. The El Hierro seismic sequence offers a rather unique opportunity to investigate the process of reawakening of an oceanic intraplate volcano after a long period of repose. The 2011-2012 eruption is a submarine volcanic event that took place about 2 km off of the southern coast of El Hierro. The eruption was accompanied by an intense seismic swarm and surface manifestations of activity. The earthquake catalogue during the period of unrest includes over 12 000 events, the largest with magnitude 4.6. The seismic sequence can be grouped into three distinct phases, which correspond to well-separated spatial clusters and distinct earthquake regimes. The estimated b-value is of 1.18 ± 0.03, and a magnitude of completeness of 1.3, for the entire catalogue. B is very close to 1.0, which indicates completeness of the earthquake catalogue with only minor departures from the linearity of Gutenberg-Richter frequency-magnitude distribution. The most straightforward interpretation of this result is that the seismic swarm reached its final stages, and no additional large magnitude events should be anticipated, similarly to what one would expect for non-volcanic earthquake sequences. The results, dividing the activity in different phases, illustrate remarkable differences in the estimate of b-value during the early and late stages of the eruption. The early pre-eruptive activity was characterized by a b-value of 2.25. In contrast, the b-value was 1.25 during the eruptive phase. Based on our analyses, and the results of other studies, we propose a scenario that may account for the observations reported in this work. We infer that the earthquakes that occurred in the first phase reflect magma migration from the upper mantle to crustal depths. The area where magma initially intruded into the crust, because of its transitional nature is characterized by high fracturing, thus favours anomalously high b-values. The larger magnitude earthquakes recorded in the second phase may reflect relaxation around the magma reservoir that had fed the eruption and, thus, lower b-values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain) is a volcanic island dominated by the Teide-Pico Viejo complex, with a summit height of 3718 m. After renewed signs of activity starting in 2004, an active seismic experiment was performed in 2007 to derive a tomographic model and identify seismic anomalies possibly associated with the magmatic system. To complement the tomography, a double beam-forming analysis is applied on two orthogonal 2-D profiles crossing the island to look for evidence of the existence of a magma chamber. Numerical tests allow us to investigate the best measure of coherency between traces, and show that the correlation and nth root semblance methods give better results than the classical semblance. They also demonstrate that the technique is reliable for locating scattering structures at depth, even when the velocity model is imperfect. Applying this technique to the Tenerife data set, two main anomalies can be identified: one at approximately 7-9 km b.s.l. depth in the northern part of the island, and one shallower (1-4 km b.s.l.) beneath the main summit. These structures could be linked to the magmatic system, in good agreement with previous studies. The shallowest one may be the phonolitic storage area feeding the Teide-Pico Viejo complex, while the deepest structure may be related to the basaltic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase equilibrium experiments were performed to determine the pre-eruptive conditions of the explosive eruption of Montaña Blanca (2020 bp) that occurred from a satellite vent located on the east flank of Teide volcano (Tenerife). Crystallization experiments used a phonolitic obsidian from the fall-out deposit as the starting material; this contains 5 wt % anorthoclase, diopside and magnetite with minor amounts of biotite and ilmenite, set in a glassy matrix that contains microlites of Ca-rich alkali feldspar. Temperature was varied between 850 and 800°C, and pressure between 200 and 50 MPa. The oxygen fugacity (fO2) was varied between NNO + 0·2 (0·2 log units above the Ni–NiO solid buffer) and NNO − 2, and dissolved water contents varied from 7 to 1·5 wt %. Comparison between natural and experimental phase proportions and compositions indicates that the main body of phonolitic magma was stored at 850 ± 15°C, 50 ± 20 MPa, 2·5 ± 0·5 wt % H2O at an fO2 around NNO − 0·5 prior to eruption, equivalent to depths of between 1 and 2 km below the surface. Some clinopyroxene crystals hosting H2O-rich melt inclusions possibly originate from an intermittent supply of phonolitic magma stored at somewhat deeper levels (100 MPa). The Ca- and Fe-rich composition of alkali feldspar phenocryst rims and microlites attests to the intrusion of a more mafic magma into the reservoir just prior to eruption; this is evidenced by the appearance of banded pumices in the later products of the eruptive sequence. The comparison with other phonolitic magmas from Tenerife and elsewhere (e.g. Vesuvius, Laacher See) shows that differences in the eruption dynamics of phonolitic magmas can be correlated with differences in magma storage depths, along with variations in pre-eruptive volatile contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clemente, S., Hernández, J. C., and Brito, A. 2009. Evidence of the top–down role of predators in structuring sublittoral rocky-reef communities in a Marine Protected Area and nearby areas of the Canary Islands. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 64–71.Differences in the sea urchin Diadema aff. antillarum population structure, which have been attributed to removal of predatory fish through overfishing, are observed throughout the Canary Islands. Low urchin abundances and a “desired conservation state” are currently found in Mar de Las Calmas Marine Protected Area and nearby fished areas (FAs) in El Hierro Island, in contrast to the occurrence of high urchin densities and the “undesired conservation state” in the highly FAs (HFAs) of Tenerife Island. Under these different levels of fishing pressure, we consider a set of ecological variables potentially affecting urchin populations (settlement, recruitment, adult urchin densities, predation rates, and abundance of urchin fish predators) to infer their magnitude and relative importance in addressing community-wide changes. No differences in settlement and recruitment rates were found, but predation pressure was higher in El Hierro, where adult density was low and predation rates were high. The combination of these factors provides evidence of a top–down control of sublittoral reef communities. Although the effect of protection was less clear, we demonstrate the positive effects of reduced fishing effort in enhancing trophic cascade processes and reducing the establishment of barren grounds. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

El Hierro is the youngest of the Canary Islands, a volcanic archipelago in the central Atlantic, near the African coast. The subaerial part of the island shows the characteristic shape of three convergent ridges that has been interpreted as a triple-arm rift system. At least four giant landslides formed wide, horseshoe embayments that separate these ridges. Recent studies based on high-resolution bathymetry, however, showed that the submarine rift structure is much more complex. We analysed an aeromagnetic anomaly data set acquired in 1993 by the Spanish National Geographic Institute in order to obtain a structural model of the island from a magnetic point of view. A digital elevation model of the volcanic edifice was divided into a mesh of prismatic cells, each of them with a top corresponding to the topographic height (or bathymetric depth in the marine area) and a bottom at a constant depth of 4000 m below sea level. A three-dimensional (3-D) inversion algorithm and forward modelling along representative profiles provided us with a magnetization distribution containing valuable information about the inner structure of the island. The magnetic model cast new light on the rift structure of El Hierro. In particular, high magnetization values have been mainly interpreted as intrusive complexes on which rift zones are rooted. Their location confirms the hypothesis of a complex rift structure in the marine area. The inverse magnetization that characterizes the NE submarine rift area implies that this part of the volcanic edifice formed during the Matuyama and, therefore, predates the NW submarine rift zone, which is normally magnetized. The N–S rift zone extending southwards from the island seems to be shifted to the west with respect to the bathymetric high in this area. This result suggests that the original rift zone was located in the area where the highest magnetizations presently occur so that the present morphology may reflect the westward collapse of the original ridge. In addition, very low magnetizations characterize the areas affected by giant landslides, indicating that magnetic anomalies can provide important constraints on the distribution of these catastrophic events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Granadilla eruption at 600 ka was one of the largest phonolitic explosive eruptions from the Las Cañadas volcano on Tenerife, producing a classical plinian eruptive sequence of a widespread pumice fall deposit overlain by an ignimbrite. The eruption resulted in a major phase of caldera collapse that probably destroyed the shallow-level magma chamber system. Granadilla pumices contain a diverse phenocryst assemblage of alkali feldspar + biotite + sodian diopside to aegirine–augite + titanomagnetite + ilmenite + nosean/haüyne + titanite + apatite; alkali feldspar is the dominant phenocryst and biotite is the main ferromagnesian phase. Kaersutite and partially resorbed plagioclase (oligoclase to sodic andesine) are present in some eruptive units, particularly in pumice erupted during the early plinian phase, and in the Granadilla ignimbrite at the top of the sequence. Associated with the kaersutite and plagioclase are small clots of microlitic plagioclase and kaersutite interpreted as quenched blebs of tephriphonolitic magma within the phonolite pumice. The Granadilla Member has previously been recognized as an example of reverse-then-normal compositional zonation, where the zonation is primarily expressed in terms of substantial variations in trace element abundances with limited major element variation (cryptic zonation). Evidence for cryptic zonation is also provided by the chemistry of the phenocryst phases, and corresponding changes in intensive parameters (e.g. T, f O2, f  H2O). Geothermometry estimates indicate that the main body of phonolite magma had a temperature gradient from 860 °C to ∼790 °C, with hotter magma (≥900 °C) tapped at the onset and terminal phases of the eruption. The reverse-then-normal chemical and thermal zonation reflects the initial tapping of a partially hybridized magma (mixing of phonolite and tephriphonolite), followed by the more sequential tapping of a zoned and relatively large body of highly evolved phonolite at a new vent and during the main plinian phase. This suggests that the different magma types within the main holding chamber could have been laterally juxtaposed, as well as in a density-stratified arrangement. Correlations between the presence of mixed phenocryst populations (i.e. presence of plagioclase and kaersutite) and coarser pumice fall layers suggest that increased eruption vigour led to the tapping of hybridized and/or less evolved magma probably from greater depths in the chamber. New oxygen isotope data for glass and mineral separates preclude syn-eruptive interaction between the vesiculating magma and hydrothermal fluids as the cause of the Sr isotope disequilibrium identified previously for the deposit. Enrichment in radiogenic Sr in the pumice glass has more likely been due to low-temperature exchange with meteoric water that was enriched in 87Sr by sea spray, which may be a common process affecting porous and glassy pyroclastic deposits on oceanic islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser ablation microprobe data are presented for olivine, orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene in spinel harzburgite and lherzolite xenoliths from La Palma, Hierro, and Lanzarote, and new whole-rock trace-element data for xenoliths from Hierro and Lanzarote. The xenoliths show evidence of strong major, trace element and Sr isotope depletion (87Sr/86Sr ≤ 0·7027 in clinopyroxene in the most refractory harzburgites) overprinted by metasomatism. The low Sr isotope ratios are not compatible with the former suggestion of a mantle plume in the area during opening of the Atlantic Ocean. Estimates suggest that the composition of the original oceanic lithospheric mantle beneath the Canary Islands corresponds to the residues after 25–30% fractional melting of primordial mantle material; it is thus significantly more refractory than ‘normal’ mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) mantle. The trace element compositions and Sr isotopic ratios of the minerals least affected by metasomatization indicate that the upper mantle beneath the Canary Islands originally formed as highly refractory oceanic lithosphere during the opening of the Atlantic Ocean in the area. During the Canarian intraplate event the upper mantle was metasomatized; the metasomatic processes include cryptic metasomatism, resetting of the Sr–Nd isotopic ratios to values within the range of Canary Islands basalts, formation of minor amounts of phlogopite, and melt–wall-rock reactions. The upper mantle beneath Tenerife and La Palma is strongly metasomatized by carbonatitic or carbonaceous melts highly enriched in light rare earth elements (REE) relative to heavy REE, and depleted in Zr–Hf and Ti relative to REE. In the lithospheric mantle beneath Hierro and Lanzarote, metasomatism has been relatively weak, and appears to be caused by high-Si melts producing concave-upwards trace element patterns in clinopyroxene with weak negative Zr and Ti anomalies. Ti–Al–Fe-rich harzburgites/lherzolites, dunites, wehrlites and clinopyroxenites formed from mildly alkaline basaltic melts (similar to those that dominate the exposed parts of the islands), and appear to be mainly restricted to magma conduits; the alkali basalt melts have caused only local metasomatism in the mantle wall-rocks of such conduits. The various metasomatic fluids formed as the results of immiscible separations, melt–wall-rock reactions and chromatographic fractionation either from a CO2-rich basaltic primary melt, or, alternatively, from a basaltic and a siliceous carbonatite or carbonaceous silicate melt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to better document the climatic origin of pedogenized loess deposits west of Sahara, rock-magnetic measurements were performed on a Last Glacial coastal sand sequence from La Mala (LM) quarry (Lanzarote, Canary Islands) containing six interbedded loess–palaeosol units. Hysteresis and susceptibility data point to a coarse-grained magnetic enhancement in the coastal sand, which contrasts with the superparamagnetic (SP) to pseudo-single domain (PSD) behaviour of the Saharan loess and palaeosol. High- and low-temperature experiments show that oxidized titanomagnetite contributions dominate in the sand, while fine-grained (SP to PSD) iron oxidation products such as maghemite and goethite are evidenced in the Saharan loess/palaeosol units. At room temperature, the detrital PSD–multidomain titanomagnetite contribution of local origin is tentatively estimated from the AC-field dependence of magnetic susceptibility. Surface oxidation of detrital spinel grains and authigenesis of fine-grained iron oxides (including SP goethite) are proposed to explain the magnetic properties of the primarily fine, Saharan-dust-bearing material. The dry, local climate of the present-day and Late Holocene means that loess deposits are not preserved. The six pedogenized loess units, however, point to dust trapping under semi-arid, wetter conditions, probably illustrating periods of reduced latitudinal temperature gradients and climate variability of the North Atlantic climate, respectively. These findings suggest that both the Canary palaeosol and its content of (ultra)fine iron oxide might be constrained by (wet) deposition and trapping of fine Saharan dust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear DNA contents for 104 Macaronesian angiosperms, with particular attention on Canary Islands endemics, were analysed using propidium iodide flow cytometry. Prime estimates for more than one-sixth of the whole Canarian endemic flora (including representatives of 11 endemic genera) were obtained. The resulting 1C DNA values ranged from 0·19 to 7·21 pg for Descurainia bourgeauana and Argyranthemum frutescens, respectively (about 38-fold difference). The majority of species, however, possessed (very) small genomes, with C-values <1·6 pg. The tendency towards small nuclear DNA contents and genome sizes was confirmed by comparing average values for Macaronesian and non-Macaronesian representatives of individual families, genera and major phylogenetic lineages. Our data support the hypothesis that the insular selection pressures in Macaronesia favour small C-values and genome sizes. Both positive and negative correlations between infrageneric nuclear DNA amount variation and environmental conditions on Tenerife were also found in several genera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic diversity was measured by allozyme electrophoresis in eight natural populations of the threatened Canarian endemic Viola palmensis Webb & Berth. (Violaceae). Nineteen alleles corresponding to 11 gene loci were detected. High levels of genetic diversity were found, ranging from 36·3 to 45·4 % for the percentage of polymorphic loci (P), from 1·45 to 1·60 for the average number of alleles per locus (A) and from 0·128 to 0·200 for the expected heterozygosity (He). Between 85·5 and 96·6 % of genetic variability was apportioned within populations. As a whole, populations were not at Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, with a deficit of heterozygous individuals attributable to the existence of genetic structuring in the populations analysed. The levels of interpopulation genetic differentiation were low (mean FST = 0·100), while genetic identity pair‐wise comparisons were high (mean I = 0·973) suggesting considerable levels of gene flow among populations. No relationship was detected between genetic differentiation and geographical distances between populations. An outcrossing insect‐mediated breeding system might contribute to pollen dispersion of this species. For conservation genetics we suggest in situ preservation areas are defined that are free of disturbance and that include populations with the highest genetic diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Bandas del Sur Formation preserves a Quaternary extra-caldera record of central phonolitic explosive volcanism of the Las Can˜adas volcano at Tenerife. Volcanic rocks are bimodal in composition, being predominantly phonolitic pyroclastic deposits, several eruptions of which resulted in summit caldera collapse, alkali basaltic lavas erupted from many fissures around the flanks. For the pyroclastic deposits, there is a broad range of pumice glass compositions from phonotephrite to phonolite. The phonolite pyroclastic deposits are also characterized by a diverse, 7–8-phase phenocryst assemblage (alkali feldspar + biotite + sodian diopside + titanomagnetite + ilmenite + nosean–hau¨yne + titanite + apatite) with alkali feldspar dominant, in contrast to interbedded phonolite lavas that typically have lower phenocryst contents and lack hydrous phases. Petrological and geochemical data are consistent with fractional crystallization (involving the observed phenocryst assemblages) as the dominant process in the development of phonolite magmas. New stratigraphically constrained data indicate that petrological and geochemical differences exist between pyroclastic deposits of the last two explosive cycles of phonolitic volcanism. Cycle 2 (0·85–0·57 Ma) pyroclastic fall deposits commonly show a cryptic compositional zonation indicating that several eruptions tapped chemically, and probably thermally stratified magma systems. Evidence for magma mixing is most widespread in the pyroclastic deposits of Cycle 3 (0·37–0·17 Ma), which includes the presence of reversely and normally zoned phenocrysts, quenched mafic glass blebs in pumice, banded pumice, and bimodal to polymodal phenocryst compositional populations. Syn-eruptive mixing events involved mostly phonolite and tephriphonolite magmas, whereas a pre-eruptive mixing event involving basaltic magma is recorded in several banded pumice-bearing ignimbrites of Cycle 3. The periodic addition and mixing of basaltic magma ultimately may have triggered several eruptions. Recharge and underplating by basaltic magma is interpreted to have elevated sulphur contents (occurring as an exsolved gas phase) in the capping phonolitic magma reservoir. This promoted nosean–hau¨yne crystallization over nepheline, elevated SO3 contents in apatite, and possibly resulted in large, climatologically important SO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The relationship between zooplankton biomass and moon illumination has been studied north of the Canary Islands. Biomass was significantly greater during the second quarter of the moon’s cycle, and decreased dramatically after the full moon in all the size classes of mesozooplankton. The pattern was similar to that described in lakes and confirms the existence of this phenomenon in the sea. This lunar cycle in zooplankton could account for a rather large percentage of the gravitational flux and may help to explain the periodicity in the sinking flux observed in sediment traps in subtropical waters. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Mantle xenoliths from Tenerife show evidence of metasomatism and recrystallization overprinting the effects of extensive partial melting. The evidence includes: recrystallization of exsolved orthopyroxene porphyroclasts highly depleted in incompatible trace elements into incompatible-trace-element-enriched, poikilitic orthopyroxene with no visible exsolution lamellae; formation of olivine and REE–Cr-rich, strongly Zr–Hf–Ti-depleted clinopyroxene at the expense of orthopyroxene; the presence of phlogopite; whole-rock CaO/Al2O3 ≫ 1 (Ca metasomatism) in recrystallized rocks; and enrichment in incompatible elements in recrystallized rocks, relative to rocks showing little evidence of recrystallization. The ‘higher-than-normal’ degree of partial melting that preceded the metasomatism probably results from plume activity during the opening of the Central Atlantic Ocean. Sr–Nd isotopic compositions are closely similar to those of Tenerife basalts, indicating resetting from the expected original mid-ocean ridge basalt composition by the metasomatizing fluids. Metasomatism was caused by silicic carbonatite melts, and involved open-system processes, such as trapping of elements compatible with newly formed acceptor minerals, leaving residual fluids moving to shallower levels. The compositions of the metasomatizing fluids changed with time, probably as a result of changing compositions of the melts produced in the Canary Islands plume. Spinel dunites and wehrlites represent rocks where all, or most, orthopyroxene has been consumed through the metasomatic reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Eight planktonic egg masses of the diamond-shaped Thysanoteuthis rhombus observed from 1995 to 2000 are described. Four were found in the western Mediterranean and the others were found off the Canary Islands. The egg masses from the Canary Islands are the first records for the eastern Atlantic. All were found near the surface at the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. The planktonic egg masses were dense, resilient oblong cylinders with rounded tips ranging from 80 to 130 cm in length and between 15 and 20 cm in diameter. Egg capsule dimensions ranged from 2.8 to 3.4 mm and total length of the newly hatched paralarvae was between 2.5 and 2.8 mm. Each egg mass contained an estimated 24 100–43 800 eggs. Some new characters that should help identification of the paralarvae, such as arm formulae, presence of an incipient keel-shaped membrane on some arms, and the type and chromatophore pattern are given. Ecological factors influencing the presence and distribution of these egg masses are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Variations in radial patterns of xylem water content and sap flow rate were measured in five laurel forest tree species (Laurus azorica (Seub.) Franco, Persea indica (L.) Spreng., Myrica faya Ait., Erica arborea L. and Ilex perado Ait. ssp. platyphylla (Webb & Berth.) Tutin) growing in an experimental plot at Agua García, Tenerife, Canary Islands. Measurements were performed around midday during warm and sunny days by the heat field deformation method. In all species, water content was almost constant (around 35% by volume) over the whole xylem cross-sectional area. There were no differences in wood color over the whole cross-sectional area of the stem in most species with the exception of E. arborea, whose wood became darker in the inner layers. Radial patterns of sap flow were highly variable and did not show clear relationships with tree diameter or species. Sap flow occurred over the whole xylem cross-sectional area in some species, whereas it was limited to the outer xylem layers in others. Sap flow rate was either similar along the xylem radius or exhibited a peak in the outer part of the xylem area. Low sap flow rates with little variation in radial pattern were typical for shaded suppressed trees, whereas dominant trees exhibited high sap flow rates with a peak in the radial pattern. Stem damage resulted in a significant decrease in sap flow rate in the outer xylem layers. The outer xylem is more important for whole tree water supply than the inner xylem because of its larger size. We conclude that measurement of radial flow pattern provides a reliable method of integrating sap flow from individual measuring points to the whole tree. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Berthella canariensis is described from Canary Islands. The mantle is smooth and its ground colour is grey, with black and opaque white spots scattered regularly all over the dorsal surface. White spots are less abundant than black ones. The posterior half of the mantle has areas of with a paler ground colour that are variable in size. Berthella canariensis has several features that distinguish it from other described members of Berthella. It has a broad radula with numerous teeth per half-row. However, other aspects of its anatomy, such as the absence of a medial buccal gland and the presence of a tuberculate gill, distinguish it from other species with a broad radula. As the present species has two features found in some species of Pleurobranchus and several new higher taxa have been described recently, Willan's (1987) phylogenetic hypothesis was re-analysed. This analysis largely supports the hypothesis presented by Willan. The sister-group relationship of B. canariensis with B. californica is supported by two synapomorphies. The relationship of these two species to other species of Berthella is poorly resolved in the present analysis and requires additional study of all members of the genus. Similarly, questions of the monophyly of Bathyberthella, Polictenidia, Parabathyberthella, Tomthompsonia and Berthella require the consideration of additional species and comparison with other members of Berthella and Berthellina. Despite the need for further study, the monophyly of the clade containing Bathyberthella, Polictenidia, Parabathyberthella is well supported. Similarly, numerous synapomorphic features confirm the monophyly of the clade containing Bathyberthella, Polictenidia, Parabathyberthella, Tomthompsonia, Berthellina and Berthella, and its sister-group relationship with Pleurobranchus. The present study reveals that the Notaspidea have three distinct configurations of triaulic reproductive systems, not previously differentiated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osmium concentrations and isotopic signatures were measured in 28 primarily Holocene basalts (22 of which have been analyzed for Sr-Nd-Pb isotope composition), two carbonatites and two mantle xenoliths from the Canary Islands, Selvagen Grande and Madeira in the eastern North Atlantic. 187Os/188Os ratios in the basalts range from 0·129 to 0·183. The Os isotope systematics indicate that the basalts fall into three petrogenetic groups: (1) a `radiogenic' group with high 187Os/188Os from 0·152 to 0·183; (2) an `unradiogenic' group with low 187Os/188Os from 0·129 to 0·138; (3) an `intermediate' group with 187Os/188Os between 0·139 and 0·151. The Os isotope systematics of the radiogenic group samples are consistent with minor contamination of the basalts by marine sediment. All samples in the unradiogenic group contain mantle xenoliths, and the unradiogenic Os can be explained by bulk assimilation of <= 5% mantle peridotite in the form of disaggregated xenoliths. The radiogenic and unradiogenic groups are also characterized by higher 87Sr/86Sr and 208Pb/204Pb but lower 143Nd/144Nd than samples with similar 206Pb/204Pb from the intermediate group, which is interpreted to reflect interaction of plume magmas with the lithospheric mantle. The intermediate group samples are believed to represent the isotopic signature of the mantle plume. The Os isotopic composition of the Canary plume is among the most radiogenic found in ocean island basalts, comparable with the endmember HIMU islands Mangaia and Tubuaii, but at significantly lower 206Pb/204Pb. The radiogenic Os and moderate 206Pb/204Pb signature of the Canary plume is consistent with a plume which contains 25-35% of relatively young (~1·2 Ga) recycled oceanic crust. Variable degree of mixing of the Canary Island plume source with shallow depleted asthenosphere containing a component of Paleozoic oceanic crust produces the limited range in Os isotopic signatures observed in the Madeira and Canary Island basalts despite a large range in 206Pb/204Pb isotopic composition. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Major and trace element data on basanitic to phonolitic lavas of different ages and from different parts of Tenerife (Canary Islands), and their mafic silicates have been used to obtain more detailed information about processes taking place in crustal magma chambers associated with ocean island magmatism in Tenerife. Clinopyroxene phenocrysts in basanitic to phonolitic lavas consist of diopside-salite (referred to as Al-salite) with alternating normal and reverse zoning, and commonly contain a rounded or corroded core of homogeneous Na-rich diopside-salite (referred to as Na-salite). In general Al-salite contains lower amounts of rare earth elements (REE) and Y, and more Mg, Al, Ti, Cr, Sc and Ni than Na-salite. Variations in trace element concentrations and ratios are only weakly related to variations in mg-number. Petrographic and compositional relations among the lavas and mafic silicates are interpreted as the results of fractional crystallization in periodically refilled magma chambers (FCM processes). The FCM processes took place at temperatures of 1040-1260°C and pressures of about 0·2-0·5 GPa; that is, partly within the old oceanic crust and partly within the overlying sequence of Canary Islands lavas. FCM processes may lead to significant fractionation between incompatible trace elements whose ratios in mafic magmas are used to characterize their mantle source(s). Melts subjected to FCM processes will, furthermore, produce significantly larger masses of cumulates than melts of similar mg-number that have only been subjected to simple fractional crystallization. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Migmatization of gabbroic rocks at 2–3 kbar has occurred in the metamorphic contact aureole of a mafic pluton in the Fuerteventura Basal Complex (Canary Islands). Migmatites are characterized by a dense network of closely spaced millimetre-wide leucocratic veins with perfectly preserved igneous textures. They are all relatively enriched in Al, Na, P, Sr, Ba, Nb, Y and the rare earth elements compared with the unaffected country rock beyond the aureole. Migmatization under such low-pressure conditions was possible because of the unusual tectonic and magmatic context in which it occurred. Multiple basic intrusions associated with extrusive volcanic activity created high heat flow in a small area. Alkaline and metasomatized rocks present in the country rock of the intruding pluton were leached by high-temperature fluids during contact metamorphism. These enriched fluids then favoured partial melting of the host gabbroic rocks, and contaminated both the leucosomes and melanosomes. A transpressive tectonic setting at the time of intrusion created shearing along the contact between the intrusion and its host rock. This shearing enhanced circulation of the fluids and allowed segregation of the neo-formed melts from their restite by opening tension veins into which the melts migrated. Depending on the relative timing of melt segregation and recrystallization, leucosomes range in composition from a 40–60% mixture of clinopyroxene (± amphibole) and plagioclase to almost pure feldspathic veins. Comparable occurrences of gabbros migmatized at low pressure are expected only at a small scale in localized areas of high heat flow in the presence of fluids, such as in mid-ocean ridges or ocean-islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The petrology, geochemistry and petrogenesis of the active Teide–Pico Viejo volcanic complex provide information about the evolution and internal structure of the Tenerife central magma system during its most recent volcanic cycle. Two petrologically distinct basaniten–phonolite lineages are identified, which correlate essentially with the products of the Pico Teide and Pico Viejo stratovolcanoes. Geochemical modelling supports the evolution of both series from a common evolved basanite parent, by crystal fractionation under different physico-chemical conditions. Pico Viejo series intermediate magmas fractionated mainly kaersutite and low-Or plagioclase at high PH2O, whereas Teide series examples fractionated mainly high–Or plagioclase and clinopyroxene at low PH2O, resulting in lower Ba, Sr, Eu/Eu* and MREE/HREE, and less peralkaline phonolitic residua. The Pico Viejo series shows smooth modal, mineralogical and whole-rock chemical variations, whereas the Teide series shows the additional effects of mineral accumulation, magma mixing, assimilation of hydrothermally altered crust and contamination by felsic magmas. Pyroxene barometry suggests that parental basanites and Pico Viejo series intermediate magmas evolved in the lower crust and uppermost mantle at 6–12 kbar Ptotal. Teide series intermediate magmas experienced polybaric fractionation, also differentiating extensively within a shallow chamber beneath Teide, where low PH2O conditions resulted from low Ptotal and, on the basis of F and Cl systematics, from open–system degassing. Hygrometry and melt-inclusion data from phonolites suggest a shallow Teide chamber at ∼1.5 kbar Ptotal, whereas Pico Viejo series phonolites evolved in a separate shallow chamber at ∼1 kbar Ptotal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trace elements and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopes have been analyzed on sedimentary and igneous (metabasalt, metadiorite and metagabbro) samples from the Jurassic oceanic crust beneath Gran Canaria (Canary Islands). The igneous crust exhibits extreme heterogeneity in 87Sr/86Sr (0.7029–0.7052), 206Pb/204Pb (18.2–20.8) and 208Pb/204Pb (38.1–41.3). Leaching experiments indicate that seawater alteration has elevated the 87Sr/86Sr ratio but has not appreciably affected 143Nd/144Nd (0.51295–0.51306). An Sm–Nd isochron gives an age of 178 ± 17 Ma, which agrees with the age predicted from paleomagnetic data. Hydrothermal alteration near the ridge axis has increased 207Pb/204Pb (15.59−15.73), 208Pb/204Pb (as well as Δ7/4Pb and Δ8/4Pb), 238U/204Pb (μ) and Ce/Pb but has not appreciably changed 206Pb/204Pb. The large range in 206Pb/204Pb and 208Pb/204Pb reflects radiogenic ingrowth with μ being as high as 107. Portions of the Jurassic ocean crust have trace element and isotope characteristics within the range found at St Helena, the Atlantic type locality for the HIMU (high μ) mantle end-member. Evaluation of the published isotopic data for Gran Canaria volcanic rocks indicates that the isotopic composition of these melts primarily represents the composition of their mantle sources rather than crustal assimilation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinel harzburgite, lherzolite, dunite and wehrlite mantle xenoliths from the Canary Islands (La Palma, Hierro, Tenerife and Lanzarote) contain a spectrum of silicate glasses as inclusions in minerals, along grain boundaries, and in interstitial glass pockets. These glasses show a range in composition form basaltic (∼44 wt % SiO2), to highly silicic, TiO2–FeO–MgO–CaO–P2O5-poor types (up to 71 wt % SiO2). Glasses in spinel harzburgites and lherzolites are generally silica oversaturated, whereas those in spinel dunites and wehrlites have somewhat lower SiO2 contents and are generally silica undersaturated. Glasses in xenoliths from La Palma and Tenerife are rich in K2O compared with those from Hierrro and Lanzarote. Daughter minerals coexisting with highly silicic glass in polyphase inclusions are similar in composition to the main phases in the host xenoliths (Fo>90, Cr-diopside, chromite), whereas those in less silicic glasses are richer in Al2O3, TiO2 and FeO, and poorer in MgO. The systematic relations found to exist between glass composition, mineralogy of the host xenolith and locality (island) cannot reflect random variations in the geochemistry of ‘exotic’ melts infiltrating the mantle lithosphere, but instead suggest a cogenetic relationship between the melts and their mantle host xenoliths. The silicic glasses are interpreted as the products of reactions at 8–12 kbar between infiltrating alkali basaltic magmas and peridotitic wall-rocks which, in orthopyroxene-bearing rock-types, involves formation of silicic melt+olivine at the expense of orthopyroxene. In xenoliths from La Palma and Tenerife, where interstitial phlogopite is commonly present, phlogopite has been partly or totally consumed by the reactions between relatively mafic melts and peridotite, giving rise to silicic glasses with high K2O contents and K2O/Na2O ratios. The low K2O concentrations and K2O/Na2O ratios in glasses in anhydrous xenoliths suites from Hierro and Lanzarote are believed to result for reactions between infiltrating melts and anhydrous and/or amphibole-bearing mantle wall-rocks. The silicic melts appear to have been mobile over distances exceeding the diameter of a xenolith, that is, at least 20–30 cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UK's Science and Technology Facilities Council has agreed to extend the funding available for the UK Infrared Telescope and the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, both based in Hawaii, and the Isaac Newton Group of instruments in the Canaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]