The Lesser Antilles Volcanism and Landslides project aims to further understanding of the constructive and destructive processes related to island arc volcanism. Processes occurring along these arcs are among the most fundamental on Earth. Styles of magmatism and eruptive activity are diverse in this geological setting not only between different arcs, but also between the different islands that make up an arc. Because of the association of volcanic activity in island arcs with potentially large geohazards (explosive eruptions and tsunamis), it is imperative to further investigate and thus better understand the evolution of these volcanoes and the histories of their related landslides.

        Knowledge of island arc volcanism is largely limited to the subaerial geological record. Combining this record with information from related submarine deposits will provide a more complete picture of volcanic activity in this geological setting. The Lesser Antilles arc lends itself well to achieving this combined record, offering a diverse range of magmatic and eruptive styles across a relatively small geographic area. In addition, the frequency of flank collapse events that result in the deposition of debris avalanches is high, with the style of flank collapse varying along the arc.

        Data acquired during this expedition will be utilized to further investigate magmatic evolution and eruptive activity along the Lesser Antilles arc. In addition, we hope to reach a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in both the transport and deposition of volcanic debris avalanche deposits and to assess the potential for volcanic hazards associated with these avalanches.

        For more information: http://iodp.tamu.edu/scienceops/expeditions/exp340.html