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| Capelinhos volcano | |
|---|---|
| Name | Capelinhos |
| Photo caption | Eruption column at Capelinhos in 1957 |
| Elevation m | 200 |
| Location | Faial Island, Azores, Portugal |
| Type | Surtseyan submarine volcanic cone |
| Last eruption | 1957–1958 |
Capelinhos volcano Capelinhos is a volcanic complex on Faial Island in the Azores of Portugal, formed by a Surtseyan eruption that created new land and dramatically altered local communities. The event attracted attention from scientists associated with institutions such as the United States Geological Survey, Universidade dos Açores, British Geological Survey and media outlets including BBC and National Geographic. Its 1957–58 activity is widely cited in studies by researchers linked to UNESCO and the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior.
Capelinhos is located on the western coast of Faial Island adjacent to Horta, Azores and the Port of Horta. The vent produced a new peninsula and an ash plain that modified coastal morphology near Monte da Guia and Pico Island, part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge domain. The eruption’s influence has been discussed in publications from the Smithsonian Institution, Royal Society, Nature (journal), and the Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research.
Capelinhos sits where the North American Plate, Eurasian Plate, and African Plate tectonic boundaries interact along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the Terceira Rift. The region contains volcanic centers including Furnas (volcano), Sete Cidades, Caldeira do Faial and submarine cones near Pico Island and Graciosa Island. Magmatism here is linked to mantle processes studied by institutions like the American Geophysical Union, European Geosciences Union, Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera and research groups at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Cambridge.
The eruption began in September 1957 with submarine explosions that transitioned to phreatomagmatic activity producing an eruption column and pyroclastic surges; notable contemporaries included eruptions at Surtsey and historical events like the Krakatoa eruption. Observers from Universidade de Lisboa, Universidade dos Açores, Instituto Geofísico, and visiting scientists from Harvard University and Universität teams documented sequences of Strombolian, Hawaiian and Surtseyan phases. Aviation and shipping disruptions were reported by IATA-linked carriers and the Portuguese Navy; atmospheric effects attracted study by groups such as NOAA and Met Office.
The eruption prompted evacuations from western Faial coordinated by local authorities in Horta, Azores, aid agencies including Red Cross and international responses involving Canada, United States, France and United Kingdom diplomatic missions. Many residents resettled to New England, Ontario, Brazil, and Venezuela, influencing migration histories connected to Portuguese diaspora studies by scholars at Brown University, University of Toronto, and Universidade Nova de Lisboa. Relief and reconstruction involved programs tied to European Union pre-accession frameworks, non-governmental organizations like UNHCR-associated relief, and national ministries in Lisbon.
The eruption deposited tephra across Faial Island and neighboring Pico Island altering soils and vegetation such as Macaronesian laurel forest remnants and coastal scrub near Monte da Guia. Marine ecosystems were affected; studies by marine biologists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and University of the Azores documented changes in benthic communities, fish populations, and nutrient fluxes influencing fisheries linked to ports like Horta, Azores and historic whaling records. Succession of flora and recolonization by seabirds was compared to ecological recovery at Surtsey and Mount St. Helens.
Post-1958 investigations established long-term monitoring by organizations including the Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera, British Geological Survey, USGS, Volcanological Observatory of the Azores, and cooperative programs with European Space Agency remote sensing and NASA programs. Research topics covered stratigraphy, tephrochronology, geochemistry, and geophysics in collaboration with universities such as University of Lisbon, University of Coimbra, University of Cambridge, Caltech, and MIT. The site is referenced in hazard assessments by UNISDR frameworks and included in educational outreach by museums like the Capelinhos Volcano Interpretation Centre and institutions such as the Natural History Museum, London.
Capelinhos influenced Azorean cultural memory preserved in works by writers linked to José Saramago-era literature, local archives in Horta Municipal Library and oral histories recorded by scholars at Universidade dos Açores and cultural institutions including Museu da Horta. The site is now a tourist destination promoted by Portuguese Tourism Board, accessed via ferry routes between Horta, Azores and Pico Island, and featured in guides published by Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, and documentary producers such as BBC Natural History Unit and National Geographic Society. Educational programs involve partnerships with UNESCO and universities offering field courses in volcanology and island studies.
Category:Volcanoes of the Azores Category:Faial Island Category:1957 disasters