Formation of submarine canyons on the flanks of the Canary Islands

Detailed morphological data collected from the submarine flanks of the Cana ry Islands have revealed numerous submarine canyons down to water depths of > 3,000 m. These canyons are interpreted to have formed by submarine erosi on. We postulate formation of proto-canyons by downslope-eroding mass flows which originate on land, enter the sea, and continue below sea level for s everal tens of kilometers. Once proto-canyons have been formed, they become deepened by further erosion and failures of the canyon walls and or floor. Large amounts of sediments, funnelled through the canyons from the islands into the adjacent deep-ocean sedimentary basins, play an important role in the evolution of volcanic aprons surrounding ocean islands. Some major can yon systems appear to have persisted for at least 14 million years.