Trindade Island: evolution of the geological knowledge

Abstract

Trindade Island was named in honor of the Holy Trinity, due to the three most conspicuous elevations that can be seen from a distance (Secretaria da Comissão Interministerial para os Recursos do Mar, 2017). The island is located 1200 km from the Brazilian coast of Espírito Santo State, and ca. 40 km west of the Martin Vaz Archipelago, at 20º28´28'' S latitude and 28º51'05'' W longitude. Its geology is an important preserved indicator of the youngest Pleistocene-Pliocene undersaturated alkaline volcanic activity in Brazilian territory. Trindade Island includes the only preserved volcanic cone in Brazil, and different pyroclastic structures, facilitating volcanogenic interpretation. Trindade Island has received attention, since its discovery, under different perspectives, first for being a strategic outpost, later for treasure hunting, and today for the large amount of data that can be obtained from the mantle metasomatism and magma chamber evolution, especially studying xenoliths from deep and shallow mantle, and paleomagnetic and structural studies on materials that erupted in the last ca. 3.5 Ma. This chapter shows the state of the art of the geological knowledge about Trindade Island based on a literature review of the most relevant research into the island.