Structure and morphology of the submarine flank of an active volcano: Piton de la Fournaise (Reunion Island, Indian Ocean)

In 1984, a Seabeam bathymetric survey and the measurement of the gravity and magnetic fields of the submarine east flak of Piton de la Fournaise were carried out with R/V Jean Charcot . Piton de la Fournaise, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, is a basaltic shield volcano which occupies the southeastern thirdt of Reunion Island in the southwestern Indian Ocean. Most recent volcanic activity occurred within the youngest caldera and along two volcanic rift zones, which trend northeast and southeast and extend beyond the seashore. Three main types of volcanic or volcano-tectonic features have been identified on the Seabeam map. The results show that the history of Piton de la Fournaise is characterized by very large episodes of landsliding