Block and ash flow, Spain

3D Model

Location: Cala Higuera, Cabo de Gata Natural Park, Andalusia, Spain

Longitude: 2° 5‘39.08”W

Latitude: 36°46‘11.48”N

This block is part of a rare block-and-ash flow, and is set in a lapilli tuff of the same composition (amphibole dacite, with large euhedral hornblende crystals up to several mm long). The block displays columnar jointing. The columns are approximately 2-3 meters tall and 20-50 cm in diameter. Blocks in this deposit go from car-sized to the size of a small cabin, and are the remnants of a lava flow blown apart by the gas explosion that produced the tuff. This deposit forms a lens-shaped body of lighter colored material dotted with darker patches that is easily identifiable on satellite images or aerial photos.