Geological and Geographical Setting of Lanzarote and Chinijo Islands UNESCO Global Geopark

Lanzarote and Chinijo Islands UNESCO Global Geopark (UGG) presents a long geological history dating back to the Oligocene, where several constructive and destructive geological processes have taken place up to nowadays. Lanzarote has been built almost only from basaltic materials, grouped in three stages of volcanic construction, one submarine and two subaerial. During the first phase, Oligocene in age, the basement of the island is constructed, constituted by submarine volcanic materials, plutonic rocks and sediments. During the Mio-Pliocene and the Pleistocene-Holocene there were two stages of subaerial volcanic activity separated by an eruptive hiatus of at least 2.5 Ma when the ancient Mio-Pliocene volcanic structures were continuously eroded to model their original morphologies, giving place to different sedimentary deposits, with an important presence of aeolian sands throughout the islands and beaches in the coastal areas. In more recent times, two historical eruptions have occurred in Lanzarote Island, in 1730–36 and in 1824, indeed causing a great impact in the landscape and life of the inhabitants something that remains until now.