ledges, as well as small shoals, but cliffs are the dominant forms. Beaches are
scarce, smaller, and mostly of volcanic origin (Yanes 1990).
In the submerged platforms sandy bottoms dominate, a pattern that increases
with depth because the sedimentation is favored by the reduction of hydrodynamics with depth. On the other hand, the percentage of surface occupied by sandy
bottoms differs in each island. In older islands sedimentation seems to be favored
by the low slope. The heterogeneity (roughness) of the bottoms is particularly high
in younger islands, where the steeper slope of their bottoms along with the presence of submarine lava flows creates highly complex environments (Yanes 1990).
Fig. 15.1 Geographical position and bathimetric map of the Canarian Arquipelago. Island
platforms between 0–100 m depth are in white. Source Estudio Hidrográfico y Oceanográfico de la
Zona Económica Exclusiva de Canarias (ZEE-03), Ministerio de Defensa del Gobierno de España
474
J. C. Hernández et al.
scarce, smaller, and mostly of volcanic origin (Yanes 1990).
In the submerged platforms sandy bottoms dominate, a pattern that increases
with depth because the sedimentation is favored by the reduction of hydrodynamics with depth. On the other hand, the percentage of surface occupied by sandy
bottoms differs in each island. In older islands sedimentation seems to be favored
by the low slope. The heterogeneity (roughness) of the bottoms is particularly high
in younger islands, where the steeper slope of their bottoms along with the presence of submarine lava flows creates highly complex environments (Yanes 1990).
Fig. 15.1 Geographical position and bathimetric map of the Canarian Arquipelago. Island
platforms between 0–100 m depth are in white. Source Estudio Hidrográfico y Oceanográfico de la
Zona Económica Exclusiva de Canarias (ZEE-03), Ministerio de Defensa del Gobierno de España
474
J. C. Hernández et al.