Science Prospectus Fy 95 Program

The Volcanic Island Clastic Apron Project (VICAP) entails a case history study of a coupled system, "oceanic island volcaniclastic apron". The source area has a long-term record of chemically distinct rocks/deposits with physically datable mineral phases, so that the submarine and subaerial growth and destruction is reflected in sufficient detail in the volcaniclastic apron. The seamount/island evolution as deduced from deep drilling into the apron can then be compared to the volcanic evolution reconstructed from the study of products exposed on land. Gran Canaria, one of the best studied oceanic volcanic islands, is the most suitable candidate for such a case history study. The Madeira Abyssal Plain Project (MAP) is aimed at testing the hypothesis that ocean basin sedimentation is controlled by sealevel changes which affect the stability of sediments on continental margins including those on the flanks of volcanic islands. The products of mass wasting events accumulate on the continental slope and on the abyssal plains, but the abyssal plain is the only place where a complete record can be obtained in one drillsite. The combined VICAP-MAP project will study the development of the Canary Basin in terms of the history of volcanic activity in the Canary hotspot, the detailed evolution of the large volcanic oceanic islands of Gran Canaria and Tenerife (Canary Islands), and the filling of the Madeira Abyssal Plain.