01553nas a2200157   4500000000100000008004100001260001500042100001500057700001500072245009400087856004700181300000900228490000600237520113800243020001401381       2017                            d  c2017/12/121 aJames Hunt1 aIan Jarvis00aProdigious submarine landslides during the inception and early growth of volcanic islands  uhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-02100-3  a20610 v83 a<p> Volcanic island inception applies large stresses as the ocean crust domes in response to magma ascension and is loaded by eruption of lavas. There is currently limited information on when volcanic islands are initiated on the seafloor, and no information regarding the seafloor instabilities island inception may cause. The deep sea Madeira Abyssal Plain contains a 43 million year history of turbidites among which many originate from mass movements in the Canary Islands. Here, we investigate the composition and timing of a distinctive group of turbidites that we suggest represent a new unique record of large-volume submarine landslides triggered during the inception, submarine shield growth, and final subaerial emergence of the Canary Islands. These slides are predominantly multi-stage and yet represent among the largest mass movements on the Earth\textquoterights surface up to three or more-times larger than subaerial Canary Islands flank collapses. Thus whilst these deposits provide invaluable information on ocean island geodynamics they also represent a significant, and as yet unaccounted, marine geohazard.</p>  a2041-1723