Charles Darwin volcanic field

Charles Darwin volcanic field is a submarine volcanic field in the Cape Verde islands.

It was discovered by the RRS Charles Darwin.

It lies southwest of Santo Antao island at 3600 m depth. Two vents are named Tambor and Kolá; the first is 2500 m wide and 250 m high while the second is 1000 m wide and 260 m deep. Both feature 1 km wide pit craters. Other vents are known as Tabanka, Batuku, Mandora, De Saude and Koladera. Vents in the Charles Darwin volcanic field include cones with pahoehoe, pillow lavas, scoria and have erupted basalts with xenoliths. Unusually for volcanoes at such depths, they show evidence of explosive eruptions. Volcanic rocks appear to be 1,000s or 10,000s of years old and there is no evidence of Holocene activity but the volcanic field was active in recent times and seismic swarms have been recorded.

Corals and sponges grow on the volcanoes. Bioluminescent gorgonians have been sampled at the Charles Darwin volcanic field.