Huge Dike Intrusion in Spain

One of the most amazing images of a dike you are ever likely to see. This one is exposed in a road cutting on La Gomera, Spain's Canary Islands, high up on the "cumbre" above Vallehermoso.

The dike has been intruded into red layered volcanic ashes and as it has melted its way towards the surface it has simply gobbled up the ash layers, leaving an incredibly clean contact on either side.

The dike is a vertical sheet of igneous rock that has intruded into older sedimentary rocks. The dike is about 10 meters wide and is made of basalt, a type of igneous rock that is dark in color and rich in iron and magnesium.

The dike is likely to have formed millions of years ago, when the Canary Islands were still being formed by volcanic activity. The Canary Islands are located on the African Plate, which is moving slowly over a hotspot in the Earth's mantle. The hotspot is a region of high heat and pressure that rises from the Earth's core. As the African Plate moves over the hotspot, the magma rises to the surface and erupts, forming volcanoes.

Dike Intrusion in Spain. Photo: Miltos Andreadis

The volcanism in the Canary Islands has created a variety of volcanic features, including cinder cones, lava flows, and tuff cones. The islands are also home to a number of dormant and active volcanoes. The most active volcano in the Canary Islands is Teide, which is located on the island of Tenerife.

A dike is a sheet of rock that formed in a fracture in a pre-existing rock body. Dikes can be either magmatic or sedimentary in origin. Magmatic dikes form when magma intrudes into a crack then crystallizes as a sheet intrusion, either cutting across layers of rock or through an unlayered mass of rock. Clastic dikes are formed when sediment fills a pre-existing crack.

Gorgeous Dike Intrusion in Spain. Photo:IgnacioGarciaGT/Twitter

The dike is a valuable scientific resource because it can provide information about the composition and temperature of the magma that formed it. It can also provide information about the tectonic history of the Canary Islands.

The dike is also a beautiful and awe-inspiring sight. It is a reminder of the powerful forces of nature that have shaped our planet.