Teide
Teide is a volcano on the island of Tenerife, part of the Canary Islands archipelago.
Main article: Canary Islands
Teide is a stratovolcano on top of a basalt shield volcano.
The Teide base is located in the Las Cañadas crater (the remains of an older, extinct and destroyed volcano) at an altitude of about 2190 m above sea level.
Teide is 3715 meters above sea level, so in winter its peak is covered with a snow cap.
Teide is the highest point in Spain and all islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Thanks to the volcano, the island of Tenerife ranks tenth in the list of the highest islands in the world. If you measure the height of Teide from its base under water, then it can be called the third highest volcano in the world with an indicator of 7,500 meters.
The volcano divides the island of Tenerife into two parts: southern and northern, the climate of which varies significantly.
Volcanic formation and eruptions
1909: Last eruption
The last eruption of Teide occurred on November 18, 1909 from the El Chiniero vent in the northwest of the Santiago Fault.
160 thousand hp: The beginning of the formation of the modern volcano Teide
Education the modern stratovolcano Teide began 160 thousand years ago as a result of new volcanic activity.
170 thousand hp: Explosion, collapse or landslide of the Cañadas III volcano and the formation of a basin 16x9 km
170-150 thousand years ago, a powerful explosion occurred in the building of volcano Cañadas III, as a result of which a basin of 16 km in the east-west direction and 9 km in the north-south direction was formed. This explosion formed the current Las Cañadas caldera.
The explosive component of the Cañadas III eruptions leads to the formation of phases of the South Strip and those on the southeastern flank. These devastating episodes at this point gradually led to the present form of Las Cañadas Depression.
According to other authors, the destruction of each of the Cañadas volcanic structures could have occurred as a result of collapse or gravitational sliding.
There are two other theories for the formation of a caldera measuring 16 × 9 km. The first says the depression is the result of a vertical collapse of the volcano caused by the emptying of shallow igneous foci at about sea level beneath the Las Cañadas volcano after large-scale explosive eruptions. The second theory is that the caldera was formed by a series of lateral gravitational collapses similar to those described in Hawaii. Evidence for the latter theory has been found in both terrestrial observations and marine geology studies.
All volcanic structures are prone to landslides, especially stratovolcanoes and shield volcanoes, for which landslides are an important stage of evolution.
Volcanic landslides vary in size. The largest volcanic landslides on Earth occur on underwater volcanoes, where they are several times larger than those that occur on land. Underwater landslides over the last volume of 100-150 km3 occurred in the Canary Islands.
800 thousand hp: Formation of Las Cañadas III volcano
After the destruction of volcano Cañadas II, a new volcanic structure Cañadas III arose, the development of which continued during the period of about 1.2-0.15 million years ago in the caldera sector of Diego Hernandez.
All Las Cañadas volcanoes reached a maximum altitude similar to that of Teide (sometimes referred to as Las Cañadas Volcano IV).
1.8 million hp: Cañadas Volcano II
At the top of these deposits, the formation of a new volcanic structure begins - Cañadas II in the vicinity of Guajara, which is from 2.4 to 1.3 million years old. In this building, in the northern and southwestern zones, the first pyroclastic deposits (ignimbrites) appeared, formed as a result of the first strong explosions.
3.1 million hp: Volcano Cañadas I
The Las Cañadas building began to collapse as a result of collapse or gravitational sliding, resulting in the present Cañadas del Teide. A new volcano known as Cañadas I began to emerge on the remains of this building. The estimated age is between 3.5 and 2.7 million years.
The emissions of this new volcano are mostly basalt. The Cañadas I building was again damaged by the collapse, resulting in the first avalanche deposits in the Tigaiga area.
4 million hp: Las Cañadas volcano reaches 4,500 m in height and 40 km in diameter
After a period of calm, volcanic activity concentrated within two large structures: the central volcano Las Cañadas and the Anaga massif. The Las Cañadas volcano developed over the volcanoes of the Miocene shield and may have reached 40 km in diameter and 4,500 m in height.
Two million years of volcanic sleep and erosion
The initial stage was followed by a period of 2 million years of eruptive calm and erosion. Such termination is typical of the Canary Islands; Homer, for example, is currently at this stage.
12-6 million hp: Formation of an island of three shield volcanoes
The source of volcanism in Tenerife and the neighboring islands of the archipelago is a hot spot, which is located at a depth of 28 km.
Like the other Canary Islands and the volcanic islands of the ocean as a whole, Tenerife was formed by the fusion of large shield volcanoes, three of which developed in a relatively short period. Volcanism of this early stage formed the bulk of Tenerife. Shield volcanoes belong to the Miocene (23-5 million hp) and the early Pliocene and have been preserved in three isolated and deeply eroded massifs:
- Anaga (in the northeast),
- Teno (in the northwest) and
- Roque del Conde (to the south).
Each shield appears to have been built in less than three million years.
These large emission centers poured their flows in all directions and overlapping the flows of each other. These arrays constitute the so-called ancient basalt series or series I.
National Park and Volcano Visit
Teide, in every sense of the word, is the highlight of a trip to Tenerife. Covering an area of 189.9 sq km and encompassing a volcano and surrounding area, Teide National Park is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most popular national park in Spain and the EU, attracting around four million visitors a year as of 2019. As of 2015, Teide was called the eighth most visited national park in the world.
This area is truly extraordinary: it includes a spectacular lunar landscape with surreal rock formations, mystical caves and rocky peaks.
El Teide dominates the northern part of the park. If you don't want to take a difficult five-hour climb (one way) to the top, use the cable car.
This area was declared a natsionalnym park in 1954 in order to protect the landscape, which includes 14 plants that are not found anywhere else on Earth. Geologically, the park is interesting: of the many different types of volcanic formations found in the world, samples of more than 80% can be found here.
The park protects about 1,000 Guanche archaeological sites, many of which are still unexplored and all unmarked, preventing curious visitors from dragging away "souvenirs." Surrounding the peak are canyads, flat depressions that were likely formed by a massive landslide 180,000 years ago.
The park is beautiful at any time of the year. Most people try to climb to the top in the summer, and because the weather is most stable, it makes sense. But probably the best time to visit Teide is early spring, when flowers begin to bloom at its foot and a snow cap is still preserved at its peak. In winter, roads in the park and to the summit may be closed due to snowfall.
National Park Website: www.volcanoteide.com.
Cable car to Teide Peak
The cable car to Teide Peak is open from 9 am to 5 pm. From July to September - until 7 pm, and in October - until 6 pm.
The cable car begins at an altitude of 2356 m and lifts passengers to a height of 3555 m. Even higher (163 meters of foot climb) - the entrance is limited, the pass can be ordered in advance.
The views from the summit of Teide are very picturesque, but if the volcano is covered with clouds, you will not see anything.
On a clear day, the islands of La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro are seen peeking out of the Atlantic Ocean. It will take only eight minutes to cover the height of 1200 meters.
Each cable car cabin seats about 35 passengers and departs every 10 minutes, but come here early (before noon) because during peak hours you can queue for two hours if you haven't booked in advance.
Booking your ticket online will really take the pain out of it: you'll need to purchase a slot at a certain time (preferably aim for the earliest slot so you can find parking, otherwise you might find yourself stranded if you're driving).
And be careful: those with heart or lung problems should stay down as oxygen is scarce here in the clouds. Plus it's cool on top, so whatever the weather is downstairs, bring your jacket. Keep in mind that weather conditions often force park employees to close the cable car early, strong winds can suddenly rise, and the cable car can stop working with little to no warning.
This usually doesn't pose much of a problem for casual visitors who have climbed the cable car to the mountain, as the park keeper at the top cable car station will let everyone know it is about to stop moving, but for tourists walking up, this development could come as a nasty surprise.
Roques de Garcia
A few kilometers south of El Teide Peak, opposite the National Parador, is a geological show of curved lava peaks bearing the names Finger of God and Cathedral. These formations are a consequence of various processes: erosion of old volcanic dikes or frozen vertical magma flows. The most bizarre overture is Roque Sinchado, with the otherworldly bare plains of Yiano de Ucanca extending to the west.
Note that Roque Sinchado collapses faster at the base than at the top, and is destined to capsize one day.
It's also the most popular spot in the park, viewed by almost 90% of visitors, so parking is constantly packed.
The 1.5-hour trail skirting the cliffs is loaded with tourists, but it has photogenic views and is a stunning hike with a fairly steep stretch at the end.
Old Peak
It is the second highest peak of Tenerife and the Canary Islands (after Teide Peak), 3,135 m above sea level and a crater about 720 meters in diameter. Old Peak Crater is one of the satellite craters around El Teide.
Calling this mountain the "Old Peak" (Pico Viejo) is wrong, given that it was actually the last of Tenerife's volcanoes to erupt on a large scale. In 1798, its southwestern edge collapsed, leaving a multi-meter gap. Today it is clearly visible where fragments of magma flew into the air to a height of more than 1 km and fell as it fell, and lava flows poured from the secondary, lower wound and froze on the slopes. In three months, the eruption ejected about 12 million m3 of lava, forming a black-colored surface known as Teide's noses that differs from the rest of the volcanic zone.
Climbing this peak is overlooked by most who rush to the top of Spain, but knowledgeable people often rate the site as more impressive than climbing the top of Teide itself, and of course it's much less busy (you might indeed find yourself here all alone). No permits are required to visit Old Peak.
Old Peak can be climbed from several sides: from the road in the west and southwest, from the Parador Hotel and descend from the main volcano Teide. From the Parador side, the route begins with a parking lot.
The shortest climb from the west and southwest side is if you start from the Narises del Teide parking lot. From a geological point of view, it is more interesting, because the path passes through the Teide Nostril. Travel time to the crater is about 4 hours and about the same.
Observatory
One of the best places in the northern hemisphere to observe the stars is the Teide Observatory, located near the TF24 Highway between La Laguna and the tourist center of El Portillo. Scientists from all over the world come to study here and at the neighboring La Palma Observatory. Free tours are held from December to March. You can look at giant telescopes. You need to sign up first. Details on the www.iac.es website.
Volcano Teide Experience (922 01 04 44; www.volcanoteide.com) conducts tours of the observatory, and also offers a number of evening star observation packages and full moon walking tours in Spanish, English or German.
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