Major Field Trip for students to Tenerife
In February and March 2026, the Geosciences programme once again organised its major field trip to Tenerife, marking the fifth excursion since 2017. The focus was on ocean island volcanism and the geological evolution of the largest island in the Canary archipelago. Led by Dr. Martin Oeser-Rabe and Prof. Dr. Stefan Weyer, twelve students explored Tenerife’s geological diversity over nine field days. The programme included more than 40 field stops. Many sites were accessible by rental car, while others required hiking, including the Roques de García in the shadow of Mount Teide.
A particular highlight this year was a guided tour through the “Cueva del Viento”, a lava tube formed 25,000 years ago. Tenerife provides exceptional opportunities to study the full evolution of a volcanic ocean island, from the formation and erosion of shield volcanoes to the development of a central stratovolcano with highly explosive eruptions and caldera formation, as well as the emergence of rift systems and large-scale landslide events. Neither changeable weather nor temporary health issues dampened the positive spirit of the participants.
