Spanish volcano La Palma spews ‘lava tsunami’ after earthquake
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- The Cumbre Vieja volcano in La Palma, Canary Islands, has been erupting since September 19.
- A new “lava tsunami” poured out of the volcano, caused by earthquakes.
- So far, more than 7,000 people have fled their homes.
After a “lava tsunami” spilled from the Cumbre Vieja volcano, three hundred people were forced to evacuate their homes.
A magnitude 4.5 earthquake on October 16 threw a new lava river out of the volcano.
The spectacular eruption, which has lasted since September 19, has forced 7,000 people to leave their homes.
Cumbre Vieja volcano spits lava as it continues to erupt on the Canary Island of La Palma, as seen from Tajuya, Spain on October 17, 2021
REUTERS / Susana Véra
A spokesperson for the Canary Islands Institute of Volcanology called the new eruption a “lava tsunami”, which they filmed.
—INVOLCAN (@involcan) October 14, 2021
The video shows magma – which sits at temperatures of around 1,075 degrees Celsius – with high viscosity rolling through La Palma, where more than 7.36 square kilometers have been submerged by lava, according to the EU Copernicus Emergency Management Service.
The 4.5 magnitude earthquake was the strongest in 100 to hit the island that occurred in 24 hours, according to Reuters.
The eruption claimed no casualties.
Plume of smoke from the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on October 14, 2021 in Los Llanos de Ariadne, La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain.
Europa Press via Getty Images
However, there are concerns about the amount of sulfur dioxide emitted by the eruption.
Clouds of toxic smoke – which can cause breathing difficulties – reached the Caribbean and neighboring European countries.
Scientists cannot predict when the rash will end, Volcanologist Robin George Andrews writes in The Times.
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