The largely Miocene and Pliocene island of Gran Canaria in the middle of the Canary archipelago has been strongly eroded into steep-walled radial gorges called barrancos. Three major volcanic structures form the circular, arid island. Very young basaltic cones and lava flows of Holocene age are situated within a NW-trending zone cutting across the island; the youngest of these may be less than 1000 years old.

Copyrighted photo by Katia and Maurice Krafft, 1977.

Copyrighted image used with permission. All Rights Reserved. Contact photographer for any usage requests.

Gran Canaria