Topo da Coroa

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Topo da Coroa

Topo da Coroa 1.JPG

View of the mountain summit (in the background)
Highest point
Elevation 1,979 m (6,493 ft)  [1]
Prominence 1,979 m (6,493 ft)  [1]
Listing Ultra
Coordinates 17°01′57″N25°17′45″W / 17.03250°N 25.29583°W / 17.03250; -25.29583 Coordinates: 17°01′57″N25°17′45″W / 17.03250°N 25.29583°W / 17.03250; -25.29583  
Geography
Cape Verde location map Topographic.png
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
Topo da Coroa
Location in Cape Verde,
on the island of Santo Antão
Location Santo Antão, Cape Verde
Geology
Mountain type Stratovolcano
Last eruption around 200,000 years ago

Topo da Coroa or Tope de Coroa is a mountain on the island of Santo Antão's, Cape Verde. At 1,979 m elevation, it is the highest point of the island and the second tallest mountain of Cape Verde after Pico do Fogo (2,829 m) and before Chã das Caldeiras (around 1,870 m) nationally and Monte Tomé (1,863 m) in the island. It is in the western part of the island. The mountain is entirely of volcanic origin and much of it is made of basalt. It is 25 km west of the island capital Porto Novo.

Santo Antão, Cape Verde Westernmost and largest of the Barlavento islands of Cape Verde

Santo Antão is the westernmost island of Cape Verde. At 779 km2 (301 sq mi), it is the largest of the Barlavento Islands group, and the second largest island of Cape Verde. The nearest island is São Vicente to the southeast, separated by the sea channel Canal de São Vicente. Its population was 40,547 in 2015, making it the third most populous island of Cape Verde after Santiago and São Vicente. Its largest city is Porto Novo on the south coast.

Cape Verde Country comprising ten islands off the Northwest coast of Africa

Cape Verde or Cabo Verde, officially the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an island country spanning an archipelago of 10 volcanic islands in the central Atlantic Ocean. It forms part of the Macaronesia ecoregion, along with the Azores, Canary Islands, Madeira, and the Savage Isles. In ancient times these islands were referred to as "the Islands of the Blessed" or the "Fortunate Isles". Located 570 kilometres (350 mi) west of the Cape Verde Peninsula off the coast of Northwest Africa, the islands cover a combined area of slightly over 4,000 square kilometres (1,500 sq mi).

Pico do Fogo active volcano and highest peak of Cape Verde

Pico do Fogopronounced [ˈpiku du ˈfoɡu] is the highest peak of Cape Verde, rising to 2,829 metres (9,281 ft) above sea level. It is an active stratovolcano lying on the island of Fogo. The main cone last erupted in 1680, causing mass emigration from the island. A subsidiary vent erupted in 1995. The only deadly eruption was in 1847 when earthquakes killed several people.

Contents

About the summit

Map of the island of Santo Antao with Tope de Coroa on the left Bela-vista-net-Santo Antao-map.jpg
Map of the island of Santo Antão with Tope de Coroa on the left

The area are the source of several streams including Ribeira do Tarrafal which flows westward to Tarrafal de Monte Trigo.

Tarrafal de Monte Trigo Settlement in Santo Antão, Cape Verde

Tarrafal de Monte Trigo is a settlement in the southwestern part of the island of Santo Antão, Cape Verde. In 2010 its population was 841. It is situated on the coast, 27 km west of the island capital Porto Novo. The settlement was mentioned as Terrafal in the 1747 map by Jacques-Nicolas Bellin.

The mountain forms part of a natural park. [2] It contains 61% of the endemic angiosperm plants of Cape Verde, of which 25% are in the red list of endangered species. The causes relate to overgrazing. [3] , those listed endangered includes Tornabenea insularis .

Tornabenea insularis is a species of flowering plants of the Apiaceae family. The species is one of six species of the genus Tornabenea that are endemic to Cape Verde. The species was first described by Filippo Parlatore in 1849 as Tetrapleura insularis.

Its last eruption took place over 200,000 years ago and was a Plinian eruption and shrunk the Trigo Bay around 500 meters (1,500 feet). Much of the western terrain are of lava flows of the last eruption and made the Coroa and Tarrafal Group of rock formations. [4]

Plinian eruption type of volcanic eruption

Plinian eruptions or Vesuvian eruptions are volcanic eruptions marked by their similarity to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, which destroyed the ancient Roman cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii. The eruption was described in a letter written by Pliny the Younger, after the death of his uncle Pliny the Elder.

The Proto-Coroa Group of rock formation formed around 400,000 years ago which is largely now covered over the two later rock formations, it mainly consists of nephelite rocks.

During the Ice Age, its mountain elevation was around 2,100 meters tall (over 2,000 meters), when sea levels rose, 5,000 years ago, its elevation dropped below the height of 2,000 meters above sea level.

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "Africa Ultra-Prominences" Peaklist.org. Retrieved 2012-04-22.
  2. ↑ Áreas protegidas, Cabo Verde (in Portuguese)
  3. ↑ "Tope de Coroa. Auf den höchsten Berg der Insel", Wandern auf den Kapverdischen Inseln, DuMont, 2001, p. 124-128 ISBN   978-3770153688
  4. ↑ Holm, Paul Martin (2006). Sampling the Cape Verde Mantle Plume: Evolution of Melt Compositions on Santo Antão, Cape Verde Island. 47. p. 145-18. doi:10.1093/petrology/egi071.

Bibliography

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