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Stratigraphy, Chronology, and Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction of the Quaternary Sedimentary Infilling of a Volcanic Tube in Fuerteventura, Canary Islands

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Juan J. Coello
Affiliation:
Departamento de Edafologı́a y Geologı́a, Facultad de Biologı́a, Universidad de La Laguna, Avenida Astrofı́sico Fco. Sánchez, s/n, 38206, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
Carolina Castillo
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biologı́a Animal, Facultad de Biologı́a, Universidad de La Laguna, Avenida Astrofı́sico Fco. Sánchez, s/n, 38206, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
Esther Martı́n González
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biologı́a Animal, Facultad de Biologı́a, Universidad de La Laguna, Avenida Astrofı́sico Fco. Sánchez, s/n, 38206, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain

Abstract

La Cueva del Llano is a volcanic tube of Pleistocene age on Fuerteventura Island, in the Canary Islands. Part of it is infilled with sediments of external origin. These deposits are exceptional in stratigraphic complexity and thickness compared with other known tube infillings, and they comprise nine stratigraphic units deposited in five phases. In Phase I, which has not been dated, sedimentation of cinder from a nearby cone occurred. Phase II began ca. 16,830 ± 900 14C yr B.P., whereas phase IV dates to 9280 ± 370 14C yr B.P. The interpretation of sedimentary features shows that phases III and V correspond to a dry climate, similar to the present one, whereas the climate was much wetter during phases II and IV. This paleoclimatic sequence agrees with those suggested by the study of deposits formed in other sedimentary environments, not only in Fuerteventura but on other islands of the Canary group and the Sud-Maroc region.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
University of Washington

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