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49-449: A volcanic eruption lasted for 13 months, from September 27, 1957 until October 24, 1958, which may have been two overlapping volcanic eruptions. While enlarging the land by 2.4 km, it spawned 300 seismic events, hurled ash 1 km, destroyed 300 houses in the parishes of Capelo and Praia do Norte and caused the evacuation of 2,000 people (emigration to the US and Canada ). On October 25,

98-513: A 50% decrease of the resident population of Capelo, and contributed to an increased standard of living, greater working opportunities and some improvements in base incomes. The volcano is a landmark on Faial; its ruined lighthouse and Visitors Center (which lies along the cliff from the volcano) is a tourist destination. A trail network runs from the Visitors Center and lighthouse to the caldera summit. On September 27, 2007, commemorations marking

147-508: A Level IV on the Mercalli scale (MM-31). Three days later, the activity increased; black ash (to about 1400 m) and water vapour (to about 4000 m) rose west of the two ilhéus (English: islets ) off the coast. On September 27, beginning at about 6:45 in the morning, a submarine eruption, 300 m from Ponta dos Capelinhos (100 m from the Ilhéus dos Capelinhos ) began. Whale spotters at Costado da Nau,

196-448: A concentrated dispersion of interacting pyroclasts and partly trapped gas). The former type are sometimes called pyroclastic surges (even though they may be sustained rather than "surging") and lower parts of the latter are sometimes termed pyroclastic flows (these, also, can be sustained and quasi steady or surging). As they travel, pyroclastic density currents deposit particles on the ground, and they entrain cold atmospheric air, which

245-418: A few hours a black mat covered the extreme West of island...", reaching 2.5 kilometres from the crater, necessitating the evacuation of the settlements of Norte Pequeno and Canto. Initially, gases and pyroclastic explosions persisted until October 13, while gradually diminishing, but were rapidly replaced by violent explosions, lava bombs, ash and lava streaming into the sea. This intense eruption occurred until

294-482: A few meters above the Capelinhos lighthouse , saw the ocean churning to the west and alerted the lighthouse keepers. On October 5: "...the clouds of clay likely rose about one kilometre in height and solid fragments...reaching an area of 1200 metres around..." The buildings in the area began to experience the first damages: windows were broken, tiles fell from the roofs. By the next day, the first ash-fall began on land; "in

343-507: A process of improving and developing rural, eco- and geo-tourism. Similarly, with the emphasis on improving tourism in the Varadouro region, the natural rock pools have been improved and thermal spa in planning for remodeling. Pyroclastic rock Pyroclastic rocks are clastic rocks composed of rock fragments produced and ejected by explosive volcanic eruptions. The individual rock fragments are known as pyroclasts . Pyroclastic rocks are

392-515: A second cone was formed. Following a night of torrential rains and ash (on or about 16 November) the explosive activity ceased, and an effusive lava phase began with more ash and explosive rock. By then the largest eruptive column had reached 1450 metres into the air, carrying with it ash from the northwest for a distance of 20 kilometres (6 December). A final pause began on 29 December. Between January and April 1958, new showers of ash and accompanying water vapour (both white and darkened) persisted, and

441-403: A type of volcaniclastic deposit, which are deposits made predominantly of volcanic particles. 'Phreatic' pyroclastic deposits are a variety of pyroclastic rock that forms from volcanic steam explosions and they are entirely made of accidental clasts. 'Phreatomagmatic' pyroclastic deposits are formed from explosive interaction of magma with groundwater . The word pyroclastic is derived from

490-585: A volcanic conduit, volcanic jet, or pyroclastic density current. Pyroclasts are transported in two main ways: in atmospheric eruption plumes, from which pyroclasts settle to form topography-draping pyroclastic fall layers, and by pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) (including pyroclastic flows and pyroclastic surges ), from which pyroclasts are deposited as pyroclastic density current deposits, which tend to thicken and coarsen in valleys, and thin and fine over topographic highs. During Plinian eruptions , pumice and ash are formed when foaming silicic magma

539-556: Is area of young rock (less than 10.000 years), overlying the older pyroclasts of the Caldeira Formation, and includes two historical eruptions (the 1672 Cabeço do Fogo and 1957 Capelinhos eruptions). This fractural zone is defined by the Capelo Fault, a fracture system of cones and craters displaying right lateral echelon geometry, which extends to Capelinhos volcano in the western tip of Faial. In this particular area, Capelo Fault

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588-462: Is associated with the testamente of Father Cardoso who requested his heirs celebrate a mass in his Chapel of Varadouro in the name of Nossa Senhora do Carmo (Our Lady of Carmo). The celebration occurs on the first Sunday in October. Tourism in this parish is associated primarily with the main sites: Capelinhos and Varadouro. The re-qualification of the primary roadways within the past few years has been

637-506: Is considered part of North America , for it sits on the North American Plate . The village was elevated to civil parish in 1600, when it was de-annexed from the neighbouring parish of Praia do Norte . Friar Diogo das Chagas , in 1643, noted that the parish had about 160 inhabitants, and approximately 44 residences. At its largest, the population reached 1,400 inhabitants. The town was practically destroyed in 1672 and 1673 during

686-472: Is considered the "spa region" of the island, dominated by a large bay and the black rock cliffs of Varadouro and the Mouro volcanic plug. Discovered in 1889, the warm waters at Varadouro were considered, at the time, one of the best medicinal treatments in the country for rheumatism and skin diseases; its hypersaline waters whose temperatures average 35.5 °C (95.9 °F), attracted "beachgoers" who travelled to

735-490: Is expressed by tens of sub-vertical fractures, concentrated in a 250 meter wide zone, cutting through the pyroclastic sequence of a surtseyan cone exposed in a paleo-sea cliff east of Capelinhos volcano. An example of these fractures can be found on the surface of the Capelinhos volcano; a warm vent on its eastern flank belies the active nature of this volcanism. The parish is crossed by several pedestrian hiking trails connecting

784-467: Is fragmented in the volcanic conduit, because of rapid shear driven by decompression and the growth of microscopic bubbles. The pyroclasts are then entrained with hot gases to form a supersonic jet that exits the volcano, admixes and heats cold atmospheric air to form a vigorously buoyant eruption column that rises several kilometers into the stratosphere and cause aviation hazards . Particles fall from atmospheric eruption plumes and accumulate as layers on

833-608: Is ponded within a volcanic caldera. Pyroclasts include juvenile pyroclasts derived from chilled magma, mixed with accidental pyroclasts, which are fragments of country rock . Pyroclasts of different sizes are classified (from smallest to largest) as volcanic ash , lapilli , or volcanic blocks (or, if they exhibit evidence of having been hot and molten during emplacement, volcanic bombs ). All are considered to be pyroclastic because they were formed (fragmented) by volcanic explosivity, for example during explosive decompression, shear, thermal decrepitation , or by attrition and abrasion in

882-417: Is primarily agriculture-related, with dairy-oriented activities dominating. Meanwhile, owing to the numerous natural monuments in the region (the aforementioned Capelinhos volcano and protected areas), the region regularly sees eco-tourist activities throughout the year, with rural tourism, pedestrian trails and other leisure activities occurring in the areas of Capelo and Varadouro. The parish's southern coast

931-427: Is then heated and thermally expands. Where the density current becomes sufficiently dilute to loft, it rises into the atmosphere as a 'phoenix plume' (or 'co-PDC plume'). These phoenix plumes typically deposit thin ashfall layers that may contain little pellets of aggregated fine ash. Hawaiian eruptions such as those at Kīlauea produce an upward-directed jet of hot droplets and clots of magma suspended in gas; this

980-455: The Ilha Nova . Arriving on the island, they planted a Portuguese flag, before hurriedly leaving. The New Island had disappeared into the sea by 30 October. On November 4, 1957 a second volcanic event occurred rapidly, forming a second island, and by 12 November 1957 an isthmus had formed linking it with Faial. Explosions and ejecta increased progressively, reaching a climax by 15 December when

1029-621: The 50th anniversary of the eruption and its effects on the island's history and people were broadcast in Portugal and throughout the Azorean diaspora. Capelo Capelo is a freguesia ("civil parish") in the municipality of Horta on the island of Faial in the Azorean archipelago. The population in 2011 was 486, in an area of 26.64 km . Capelo may be considered the westernmost settlement of Eurasia , if Fajã Grande , on Flores Island ,

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1078-473: The Capelinhos crater, there were no deaths from the eruption; generally, ash deposits and some projectiles caused the destruction of homes and the blanketing of agricultural lands in the parishes of Capelo and Praia do Norte . A report presented on 15 January 1958 indicated that 164 families had been affected by the eruption. Due to the close relationship between Portugal and the United States, refugees from

1127-610: The Faial seamount. However, Victor Hugo Forjaz  [ pt ] , a volcanologist and full professor at the University of the Azores , defends that the type of eruption should have been designated as Capelinian as it pre-dates the eruption of Surtsey by five years and was studied both by Portuguese and foreign scientists. Located at Cabeço Norte, a volcanic vent releases water vapour with temperatures between 180 °C and 200 °C from

1176-467: The Greek πῦρ , meaning fire; and κλαστός , meaning broken. Unconsolidated accumulations of pyroclasts are described as tephra . Tephra may become lithified to a pyroclastic rock by cementation or chemical reactions as the result of the passage of hot gases ( fumarolic alteration) or groundwater (e.g. hydrothermal alteration and diagenesis ) and burial, or, if it is emplaced at temperatures so hot that

1225-618: The Holy Trinity ) in Capelo, was ordered constructed by the Captain-major, Jorge Goulart Pimental, to replace the parochial church, the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Esperança ( Our Lady of Hope ), which was destroyed during the 1672 volcanic eruption. A chapel to Nossa Senhora da Esperança was later constructed near the old church (which has since disappeared from the landscape). The chapel of Varadouro

1274-467: The North of Capelo. Capelo has a humid subtropical climate at low altitudes and a wetter oceanic climate at higher altitudes. In addition to the village of Capelo, at the intersection of the E.R.1-1ª and E.R.3-2ª, the parish includes the localities of Areeiro, Biscoitos, Canto, Cimo da Ribeira, Cruzeiro, Norte Pequeno, Ribeira do Cabo, Rua do Canto, Rua da Igreja and Varadouro. The economy in this region

1323-614: The Regional Government indicated their intention to expropriate lands necessary to "re-qualify and reactivate" the Thermae of Varadouro (and suggesting that only 10% had not been acquired until this point). In addition to the festivals associated with the Holy Spirit (which occur several weeks following Easter), the parish is the center of the Festas do Varadouro . This religious celebration

1372-485: The air, causing moderate explosions and accompanied by infra-sonic waves that shook doors and windows on the island and some adjacent islands. This final phase lasted several months: the last lava currents were visible on 21 October, and the last projectiles were reported on 24 October. During this final stage (around 14 May), fumaroles were discovered inside Faial's caldera , that began emitting sulfurous water vapor, boiling clay and mud. Although one person nearly fell into

1421-402: The beleaguered parishes emigrated. The Azorean Refugee Act (September 2, 1958), authorized the emigration of 1,500 people and was sponsored by Democratic Congressmen John O. Pastore of Rhode Island , and a young Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts . In addition to many families from the area of Capelo, other citizens of the Azores benefited from these temporary measures. This resulted in

1470-519: The different landscapes of the Capelo area, wrote recently in his blog, - that Capelo has considerably changed in the last twenty years, - more tourism, more secondary houses, and more vineyards are now part of the landscape of Capelo. In the same text he remarked, that in 1999 Capelo was a very fare remote area, the End of the world, “Fim do Mundo”, the same name as a bar, that was situated, in Norte Pequeno in

1519-461: The end of October with constant ash raining on Faial, destroying cultural lands, inhibiting normal farming and forcing the residents from local villages to evacuate. By October 10, the eruption had initially formed a small island, baptized Ilha Nova (English: the New Island ), Ilha dos Capelinhos (English: Island of Capelinhos ) or Ilha do Espírito Santo (English: Island of the Holy Spirit ) by

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1568-841: The eruption were identified by engineer Frederico Machado, the Director of the District Public Works Department, his assistant engineer João do Nascimento and surveyor António Denis, under the authorization of the Civil Governor, Freitas Pimentel. The Director of the Observatory in Angra , Lieutenant-Colonel José Agostinho overflew the area, and Bernado Almada (at the Prince Albert of Monaco Observatory, in Horta) sent several bulletins relating

1617-484: The escarpment at Ponta dos Capelinhos. Similar to the Horta Platform, the peninsula is consistent with the shapes and products resulting from Surtseyan , Strombolian and Hawaiian volcanic types. The formation is composed primarily of basaltic rocks, although, less frequently, Hawaiian hawaiitic rocks are observed. Capelinhos is classified a Surtseyan eruption , since it was formed in the relatively shallow coast of

1666-571: The frontiers of the parish: Further, and also included in the Capelinhos-Nordoeste-Varadouro region is the Parque Florestal do Capelo (English: Forest Park of Capelo ), a region that extends from the central Capelos cape to the coast between Biscoitos and Varadouro used as leisure/recreative forest park. The Geographer Christophe Neff working since 1999 on environmental changes and vegetation dynamics and plant distribution in

1715-450: The ground, which are described as fallout deposits. Pyroclastic density currents arise when the mixture of hot pyroclasts and gases is denser than the atmosphere and so, instead of rising buoyantly, it spreads out across the landscape. They are one of the greatest hazards at a volcano, and may be either 'fully dilute' (dilute, turbulent ash clouds, right down to their lower levels) or 'granular fluid based' (the lower levels of which comprise

1764-457: The increased seismic activity of the area. Between September 16 and 27, 1957, 200 earthquakes of intensity V ( Moderate ) on the Mercalli scale were registered. On September 23, the ocean waters off the coast of Ponte dos Capelinhos began to boil, and the first vapours were witnessed around 6:30 a.m. one kilometre northwest of the lighthouse. A constant tremor could be sensed, at times reaching

1813-520: The island with Horta in the southeast corner. The parish is located on layers of volcanic materials referred to as the Capelo Volcanic Complex. It is a line of volcanic escoria cones of fissural nature lying on a west-northwest-east-southeast orientation consisting of basaltic volcanism of low explosivity. The peninsula shows varying volcanic shapes and products resulting from surtseyan , Hawaiian and strombolian phases of volcanism. It

1862-481: The locals, 600 meter diameter and 30 meter height with an open crater to the sea. By October 29, the island grew to 99 meters high and 800 meters in diameter of coarse black ash. By the end of the first phase of the eruption, three reporters, Carlos Tudela and Vasco Hogan Teves from public television Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP), journalist Urbano Carrasco (from the newspaper Diário Popular ) and boat pilot Carlos Raulino Peixoto risked their lives by traveling to

1911-464: The majority of the parish (being the location of the most recent volcanic eruption in the Azores). The parish has several facets: an area of volcanic craters that extends from the islands caldera, inland pasturelands used to support the agricultural/dairy industry, and a coastal zone of cottages and oceanfront pools. Linking these areas is the ubiquitous Regional Road E.R. 1-1ª that connects the communities on

1960-609: The ocean-carved pools for refreshment during the Gilded Age , while partaking of the thermal waters at the spa. Since this period, the use of the thermal waters has been intermittent, during phases of proactive local governments; around the late 20th century the buildings were already in ruins. Plans to economically rejuvenate the area were concentrated on reconstructing the buildings, as a way to attract new visitors. But, in November 2007, these small plans were suspended in order to redevelop

2009-413: The site into a Hotel-Spa facility. These plans stagnated until 2009 when, along with INOVA, the regional government proposed a new project to revitalize the thermal-spa potentiality of the Azores (called TERMAZ), which projected the reconstruction of the existing Varadouro spa buildings: a project that was stalled by 2011. Amid opposition declarations requesting a timeline for their reconstruction, by 2011,

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2058-558: The soft glassy pyroclasts stick together at point contacts, and deform: this is known as welding . One of the most spectacular types of pyroclastic deposit is an ignimbrite , which is the deposit of a ground-hugging pumiceous pyroclastic density current (a rapidly flowing hot suspension of pyroclasts in gas). Ignimbrites may be loose deposits or solid rock, and they can bury entire landscapes. An individual ignimbrite can exceed 1000 km in volume, can cover 20,000 km of land, and may exceed 1 km in thickness, for example where it

2107-406: The two Ilhéus off the coast of Ponte dos Capelinhos had disappeared under the sand and ash. During this period the cinder cone and isthmus became an integral part of the island of Faial, destroying the roofs of the local buildings and infilling the space to the lighthouse . From May 12–18, 450 seismic events were recorded as the volcano moved into a Strombolian phase, emitting projectiles 500 m into

2156-595: The volcanic cones along the Capelo Volcanic Complex: Cabeço do Fogo, Cabeço Verde and Cabeço do Canto, as well as interesting geological sites such as Fonte dos Namorados. Capelo is also known for its micro-climate, which has allowed the cultivation of grapes and small wine production. The areas along Canada das Adegas (in Norte Pequeno) and Varadouro are characteristic of these private holdings and "adegas". In addition, two major protected areas fall within

2205-495: The volcanic eruption of Cabeço de Fogo (the name of the central volcano on the island of Faial). During this eruption, volcanic ash and pyroclastic projectiles rained down on the community, destroying homes and sterilizing agricultural lands in Capelo and Praia do Norte . Ironically, between 1673 and 1845, Praia do Norte was integrated into the civil parish of Capelo. The Church of the Santissima Trinidade ( Church of

2254-470: The volcano complex. The geographer Christophe Neff is carrying field studies on the pioneer vegetation in the Capelinhos area since 1999. In a recently published paper in “Finisterra” he wrote in the English abstract of the paper “Fifty years after the Capelinhos eruption we cannot find any tree or bushes on the volcano. In respect of its importance in enhancing understanding of submarine volcanoes, Capelhinos

2303-480: The volcano entered a period of dormancy. It is a part of an active fissural volcanic complex which creates multiple seismic and volcanic events. Capelinhos is located along the Capelo Volcanic Complex, that comprises a western area of fissural volcanism and historical eruptions leading away from the Cabeço do Fogo. The events that began in 1957 were an extension of the volcanic activity that abruptly ended at Costado da Nau,

2352-544: Was founded in 1720, by Father Manuel Pereira Cardoso, to the invocation of Nossa Senhora do Carmo ( Our Lady of Mount Carmel ). Later, in his 1725 last testament, Father Cardoso requested that his inheritors celebrate a mass in perpetuity to the name Nossa Senhora do Carmo, the Holy Sacrament, and Santo António , on every first Sunday of October. The spa at Varadouro was constructed and inaugurated on 1 August 1954 by architect Read Teixeira. Mountainous volcanic craters cover

2401-489: Was included by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) in its assemblage of 100 'geological heritage sites' around the world in a listing published in October 2022. The Capelinhos eruption represented the first time that a submarine eruption was documented from beginning to end. Its location near an inhabited island with good communications meant it could be intensively studied. The first activities during

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