Volcanic, tectonic and mass-wasting processes offshore Terceira Island (Azores) revealed by high-resolution seafloor mapping

Abstract

Terceira Island, in the Azores Archipelago, lies at the intersection of four submarine volcanic ridges. New high-resolution bathymetric and seismic reflection data have been used to analyze the main volcanic, tectonic and mass-wasting features of the island offshore. Volcanic features such as linear volcanic centers, and pointy and flat-topped cones are mainly concentrated on the narrow western and north-western ridges, characterized by an overall rugged morphology. Fault scarps dominate mainly the broad eastern and south-eastern ridges, which are characterized by an overall smooth and terrace-like morphology. On the eastern ridge, faults form a series of horsts and grabens related to the onshore Lajes Graben. The strikes of the fault scarps, linear volcanic centers and alignment of volcanic cones on the ridges reveal two main structural trends, WNW–ESE and NNW–SSE, consistent with the main tectonic structures observed on the Azores Plateau. In contrast, a large variability of strike was observed in inter-ridge areas, reflecting the relative importance of regional and local stresses in producing these structures. Mass-wasting features are subordinate and mostly represented by hundred meter-wide scars that indent the edge of the insular shelf surrounding the island, apart from two large, deeper scars identified on the southern steep flank of the western ridge. Finally, the remarkable morpho-structural differences between the western and eastern ridges are discussed in the framework of the evolution of the Terceira volcanic edifice and hypothesized to reflect successive stages of ridge evolution.