This is an animation that I found on the internet about the origin of Madeira Island. It shows the volcanic activity arriving at sea level, the volcano expelling lava, growing and a final stage when the volcanic activity stops and erosion models the island to its final shape.
It’s a multimedia animation that does not show a realistic island in terms of scale and shape (I don’t even think the author intended to), but it is an interesting animation, very simple, that can give an idea of the volcanic origin of Madeira to most people.
However, after watching this animation it is important to remember that only a small percentage of the volcano edifice is above the sea level. The island is only a small volume when compared with the large body that is below it. Madeira Island is only the “tip of the iceberg” of a large volcano shield. This large volcano edifice lays on the sea floor at a depth of 4000m below the sea level. Here is a gif animation on the formation of Madeira Island that I did myself, in which I tried to show that:
- Snow in Madeira Island
- Gecko (Tarentola mauritanica)