The Cumbre Vieja volcanic eruption on La Palma is a reason for looking into the system of convection rolls according to the relevant model underneath the Canary Islands. Mainly four convection rolls, and thereby four division lines are responsible for the activity of this chain of volcanic islands.
Narrow red lines show upwelling, black lines show downwelling. The lines oriented NNW show division between uppermost convection rolls at 120 km depth, directly affecting the tectonic plate’s ductile part. Because the tectonic drift carries the islands eastwards, the youngest islands are the westernmost ones. The islands appear at first close to division line between rolls 1 and 2, and go through a stage of building up a shield volcano. The activity diminshes within the realms of convection roll 3. Rejuvinated volcanism does, according to this model, occur due to the fact that the islands drift from one convection roll to the other. Relatively recent eruptions have occurred above convection roll 4.
Magic Magma 