Expedition 340 summary

The Lesser Antilles Volcanism and Landslides project aims to elucidate the constructive and destructive processes of island arc volcanoes. The data set collected includes the first ever drilling of volcanic island landslides and cores providing a long-term record of volcanic eruption cycles and magmatic evolution. Processes occurring along these arcs are among the most fundamental on Earth. Styles of magmatism and eruptive activity are diverse in this geological setting not only between different arcs but also between the different islands that make up an arc. Because of the association of volcanic activity in island arcs with potentially very damaging geohazards (explosive eruptions and tsunamis), it is imperative to investigate and thus better understand the evolution of these volcanoes and the histories of their related landslides.