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It has been intense hours in ground zero of the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano (The Palm, Spain). It began Monday night and the volcanic cone suffered one of its biggest collapses since the eruption began on September 19. This event led to the release of a large amount of lava, dragging large blocks with it, as explained by the director of the National Geographic Institute, María José Blanco.
This lava it is following the path marked by the first washes, and has dedicated itself to “filling in the islands”, which “had remained from previous washes”, indicated the technical director of the Volcanological Emergency Plan of the Canary Islands (Pevolca), Miguel Ángel Morcuende.
The rupture of the septum has caused the volcano to completely change its appearance from one day to the next and has increased its strombolian character (characterized by explosions and the emission of pyroclasts —solid material—). The detonations coming from the cone are perfectly perceptible throughout the entire Aridane valley, which is home to the municipalities of El Paso, Los Llanos de Aridane and Tazacorte.
The harshness of the detonations and emanations make the morphology changes constant. In fact, at 6:50 p.m. in the Canary Islands, the internal cone collapsed on itself again, an event visible to the naked eye from relatively close places (about three kilometers) such as the Tajuya viewpoint, a meeting point for the curious and the media. communication.
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Limited effects
For now, the greater contribution of lava that gushes from the subsoil has had limited effects on the population. The European Copernicus satellite system estimates the surface washed away by lava from the volcano of La Palma, barely half a hectare more in an interval of 20 hours. This last measurement was made this Tuesday at 12:30, Canarian time, and the number of destroyed buildings remains unchanged, 2,162, and that of 124 possibly affected, a number that not only includes properties, but also includes, for example , implement rooms or even swimming pools. Nor does the estimate of the damage caused by the different runoffs on the island’s roads change: 66.2 kilometers have disappeared and another 3.4 kilometers have been partially damaged.
Anxiety will remain installed in the residents of La Laguna (Los Llanos de Aridane), despite the fact that the wash that attacks the center of the city has been stopped for almost a week and is even beginning to take a southeast direction, which would take her away from the dwellings. “But if there is a sufficient load of material”, Morcuende has clarified, “you can also start your way to the north of the Mountain of La Laguna”. This was the planned path that forced the decision to evacuate the center of the neighborhood and other surrounding areas as of October 12.
The inhabitants of El Corazoncillo (a neighborhood between Los Llanos de Aridane and El Paso), the area haunted by the new languages that began to flow over the weekend, can also breathe, at least for now. These new washes have stopped 250 meters from the houses.
Where then does all the lava that flows from Cumbre Vieja go? Mainly to feed the first wash of all, both by surface and by lava tubes, and to grow the fajana or lava delta that was created when the lava contacted the sea on September 28.
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Seismic activity
The felt earthquakes do not help the tranquility of the palm trees. Both Monday night and Tuesday day have been the scene of violent explosions, red skies tinged by lava and earth tremors. “Today we have a seismicity or similar or slightly lower than yesterday [lunes]”, Explained the Pevolca spokesperson.
There have been 15 earthquakes that have been felt by the population, one of them 36 kilometers deep, with a magnitude of 4.2 and an intensity IV, in Villa de Mazo. Intensity measures how citizens and infrastructures perceive each movement. The scale in this case goes from I to XII, and an IV is moderate: it can be seen inside buildings, it is noticeable in doors and windows and parked cars are shaken. The magnitude, for its part, measures the strength of the earthquake, regardless of how it feels on the surface.
Everything seems to indicate that earthquakes will continue to be present in the life of the palm trees, with earthquakes that can reach intensities of up to VI (strong), although it is not certain that this will happen. If this degree is reached, the earthquake would be felt by the entire population of the island. When this happens, panic among citizens is frequent and it is difficult to walk or stand.
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