Development of inflated lava tubes in analogous planetary environments: the case of La Corona system (Lanzarote, Canary Islands) ...

• Main Authors: Societa Geologica Italiana 2021, Tomasi, Ilaria
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Underline Science Inc. 2021
• Subjects: Geology; FOS Earth and related environmental sciences; Geology and Geophysics; Volcanology; Geomorphology; Cosmology; Sedimentology; Iceland
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.48448/ykse-6z95; https://underline.io/lecture/33953-development-of-inflated-lava-tubes-in-analogous-planetary-environments-the-case-of-la-corona-system-lanzarote-canary-islands

Multidisciplinary efforts are currently boosted by an urgent need to improve our understanding of Earth’s lava systems in sight of their future exploration on other rocky bodies of the Solar System. Among the many structures documented in lava fields, lava tubes are one of the most enigmatic. They constitute a peculiar type of caves dug by molten lava flows. These roofed conducts are very efficient thermal structures enabling channelizing lava transport over long distances. The longest lava tubes are found on volcanic plateau characterised by a gentle slope (<2°) or on volcanic islands (e.g. Hawai’i, Canaries, Iceland, etc.). These structures are easily recognizable from the surface by skylights and collapses on the roof forming pits chains, which allow the reconstruction of the tube path. Due to the similar characteristics of basaltic volcanism on other rocky bodies (e.g. Mars and the Moon), it is expected that lava tubes have similar origins and morphologies to those on Earth. Indeed, analogous ...