Geophysical investigation of the terrestrial analogue, Caldereta volcano, in Lanzarote, the Canary Islands as a precursory study to mars phreatomagmatic volcanoes

Hydromagmatic eruptions are of particular importance for the search of extraterrestrial life since they require the presence of water. Phreatomagmatic volcanoes on Mars shall resemble those of the Earth and thus, terrestrial analogues of Mars, such as Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, are a good reference for further studies of the Martian volcanoes.

In this study we present our drone-based magnetic survey results combined with a morphometric analysis of Caldereta horse-shoe shaped volcano in Lanzarote, catalogued as a phreatomagmatic tuff for its similarity and proximity to Caldera Blanca, a well-known hydromagmatic edifice (Barrera Morate et al., 2011; Carracedo and Day, 2002; Romero et al., 2007; Kervyn et al., 2012; Brož and Hauber, 2013). On Mars, the chosen edifice is C27 volcano, a horse-shoe shaped cone in the Nephentes/Amenthes region, whose pitted cones were suggested to be of phreatomagmatic origin by Brož and Hauber (2013).

Our morphometric analyses allowed us to classify both Caldereta and C27 edifices as tuff rings, specifically maars. With the drone-based survey performed in Caldereta we demonstrate how more insights could be gained from Martian volcanos when combining magnetic surveys using helicopters on Mars (Mittelholz et al., 2023) with morphometric analyses using satellite data and high-resolution near surface geophysical studies.

 

Keywords

Magnetometry, Mars, planetary magnetism, crustal magnetism, Mars hydromagmatism, planetary science, space magnetometers.

 

References:

Barrera Morate J.L., García Moral R., 2011. Mapa geológico de Canarias. GRAFCAN.  https://www.idecanarias.es/resources/GEOLOGICO/LZ_LITO_unidades_geologicas.pdf

Brož, P., Hauber, E., 2013. Hydrovolcanic tuff rings and cones as indicators for phreatomagmatic explosive eruptions on Mars. J. of Geophys. Res.: Planets 118, 1656–1675. doi: 10.1002/jgre.20120.

Carracedo, J.C., Day, S., 2002. Canary Islands, in: Classic Geology in Europe Series 4. Terra Publishing, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, p. 294.

Kervyn, M., Ernst, G.G.J., Carracedo, J.C., Jacobs, P., 2012. Geomorphometric variability of “monogenetic” volcanic cones: Evidence from Mauna Kea, Lanzarote and experimental cones. J. Geomorphol. 136, 59-75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2011.04.009

Mittelholz, A., Heagy, L., Johnson, C. L., Fraeman, A. A., Langlais, B., Lillis, R. J., and Rapin, W.: Helicopter Magnetic Field Surveys for Future Mars Missions, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 24–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-11186, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-11186, 2023.Romero, C., Dóniz, J., García Cacho, L., Guillén, C., Coello, E., 2007. Nuevas evidencias acerca del origen hidromagmático del conjunto volcánico Caldera Blanca/Risco Quebrado (Lanzarote, Islas Canarias). Resúmenes XII Reunión Nacional de Cuaternario, Ávila.