Landslide occurrence appears to be primarily controlled by the locations of volcanic rift
zones on the islands, with landslides propagating perpendicular to the rift orientation.
However, this does not explain the uneven distribution of landslides on some islands which
seems to indicate that unstable flanks are a ‘weakness’ that can be carried forward during
island development.
This may occur because certain island flanks are steeper, extend to greater water depths
or are less buttressed by the surrounding topography, and because volcanic production
following a landslide may be concentrated in the landslide scar, thus focussing subsequent
landslide potential in this area.
Landslides are primarily a result of volcanic construction to a point where the mass of volcanic products fails under its own weight. Although the actual triggering factors are poorly under-
stood, they may include or be influenced by dyke intrusion, pore pressure changes related to
intrusion, seismicity or sealevel/climate changes.
A possible relationship between caldera collapse and landsliding on Tenerife is not, in our inter-
pretation, supported by the available evidence.
Author Keywords: Canary Islands; Landslides; Debris avalanches; Slumps; Debris flows
Corresponding author. Tel.: +44-1703-596568; fax: +44-1703-596554; email:
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