The volcano on La Palma comes to rest temporarily. But that doesn’t have to mean too much, say experts.
Update from Tuesday, 14.12.2021, 1.30 p.m.: The day before there had been violent explosions: The volcano on La Palma had emitted large amounts of gas and lava. Now the activity of the volcano has surprisingly decreased. The state TV broadcaster RTVE reports. This is the longest inactive time of the volcano since the beginning of the eruption, said experts from the Canary Islands (Instituto Volcanólogico de Canarias).
However, volcanologists warn that this does not necessarily mean that the end of the eruption is imminent. There have been repeated short periods of rest – most recently last Sunday, according to volcanologist Rubén López. Then the outbreak was all the more violent, said López RTVE.
Since 21:00 yesterday, there is no volcanic tremor in Cumbre Vieja. This does not imply a termination of the eruption, as its cessation has sometimes been followed by a further increase in activity. This is the longest tremor-free interval since the eruption began. pic.twitter.com/XpBztxulh1
— INVOLCAN (@involcan) December 14, 2021
First report from Monday, 13.12.2021, 12:00 p.m.: La Palma – For months the volcano has been spitting ash and lava on La Palma. Now the volcanic eruption, with a duration of 87 days since Tuesday (December 14th, 2021), is considered to be the longest in the known history of the Canary Island. So far, the eruption of the Tehuya volcano in 1585 was the longest at 84 days, although no reliable data is available on earlier eruptions.
The activity of the as yet nameless volcano in the Cumbre Vieja mountain range has decreased somewhat in the past few days, but volcanological experts still dare not predict when it will end. “The indicators point to a slowdown. The best news is that they are stable, ”said the President of the Island Council, Mariano Hernández Zapata, the TV broadcaster RTVE.
Volcanic eruption on La Palma: hope for the end of the nightmare
However, the record of all Canary Islands is still a long way off: The Timanfaya volcano was active on Lanzarote for no less than 2055 days between 1730 and 1736. The Canaries in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Africa are all of volcanic origin.
Meanwhile, the hope of an early end to the nightmare is growing on La Palma. “Activity is currently low and appears to indicate that the volcano is entering its terminal phase. But you can never be sure ”, the spokesman for the volcanological institute Involcán, David Calvo, was quoted in the newspaper El Mundo. Canarian regional president Ángel Víctor Torres had previously stated: “We are told that there is scientific evidence that it could be over before the end of the year. We hope that it will happen as soon as possible, tomorrow rather than the day after tomorrow. “
Volcanic eruption on La Palma: devastating consequences for the population
The consequences of the volcanic eruption on La Palma are devastating. Since the eruption on September 19, the lava, which can be up to 1,300 degrees Celsius, has destroyed almost 2,900 buildings, according to the latest official report. Most recently, almost 1200 hectares were covered by a meter-thick layer of lava, which corresponds to around 1.7 percent of the island’s territory. More than 7,000 residents have had to be evacuated since the volcano erupted.
Banana cultivation, which is important for the island, is particularly hard hit, from which around half of the approximately 85,000 inhabitants live directly or indirectly and which was already in crisis before the volcanic eruption.
The tourism sector is also lamenting losses. Some time ago, Regional President Torres estimated the total financial damage to be around 700 million euros. (ktho / df with dpa)
Picture list: © Emilio Morenatti / dpa
