Volcanic activity in Canary Islands 2021

[jand]

The signs of depletion of the volcano are corroborated, but there is still a risk due to poor air quality
Once the eruptive process is finished, experts warn that it will take many weeks to return to normal


On Tuesday morning, the heads of the scientific committee and the Geophysical Center in the Canary Islands of the National Geographic Institute (IGN) have appeared to give an account of the latest news from the La Palma volcano.

The volcanologists have corroborated the signs of depletion of the volcano, with a deformation as well as failures and collapses in the area of ​​the cone, which do not affect the data that point to said depletion.

Despite said depletion, the deadline for which it is to be terminated ends within four days, experts point out that the risk situation for the population will continue for a few weeks even if the eruption is terminated.

Today, the tremor is at the level of background noise and the seismicity at very low levels, although earthquakes felt by the population are not ruled out. Only a local deformation has been detected that began on the 19th and has remitted. Low range of emissions in the area. The air quality is at good levels in all the stations except in San Antonio, from the 19th to the 20th and in the early hours of today good levels of air quality are maintained.

To date there are 547 sheltered and 43 dependents in the Cabildo facilities.

https://www.canarias7.es/canarias/la-pal...%A1n&vli=_

Gas is worrying in the area of ​​La Bombilla, Puerto Naos and El Remo and this morning farmers have been allowed access to El Remo and Puerto Naos, but not to La Bombilla and access to buildings or tool rooms has not been allowed.

[jand]

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=3634...7748917554

[jand]

Gas measurements made by
@UMEgob
they confirm the presence of elements that are harmful to health in the exclusion zones, even those far from the cone.

#PEVOLCA reminds: the danger persists and these areas cannot be accessed without authorization.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1473271955142987779

[jand]

Some worrying comments from the islanders La Palma this morning on Volcanes y Ciencia Hoy.

All Translated

Good morning Enrique from Tacande el Paso... near the volcano.. WAKE UP WITH THE SMELL OF SMELL TILES!! AND A COLOR BLUE! I'm going to have a good time

·

Maria Luz Trujillo
Delia Rodríguez Guerra yes... a lot of breaded sulfur is seen, even the east smells of sulfur


Top fan
Delia Rodríguez Guerra
Maria Luz Trujillo me here in Tacande can't open the door! I'm going to have a good time

Luis Gonzalez Martin
Maria Luz Trujillo and there is an increase in deformation in several stations the Lp3 rises and recovers the deformation of 6cm from the day before yesterday

[jand]

Scientists warn that the end of the eruption does not mean that there are not "some dangers"
López added that in order to say that the eruptive process is complete, the recorded and observable data must be maintained at current levels for two more days.

The observables, both direct on the surface and from the surveillance systems, continue to corroborate the signs of exhaustion of the eruptive process of the La Palma volcano, although the end of the eruption does not have to imply the end of some dangers associated with the volcanic phenomenon. and the end of the magmatic reactivation in Cumbre Vieja.

This has been warned by the spokesperson of the Pevolca Scientific Committee, Carmen López, who indicated at a press conference that the only significant data is that the local deformation episode that began on December 19 persists, which requires its monitoring, without being observed variations in the rest of the data and observables.

Carmen López added that in order to say that the eruptive process is complete, the recorded and observable data must be maintained at current levels for two more days.

For his part, the technical director of Pevolca, Miguel Ángel Morcuende, has insisted that the security measures regarding COVID-19 continue to be complied with by the population and recalled the need for those people who access, especially in the South of the emergency, to clean homes take all due precautions, ventilating the house where you intend to access and not accessing places below ground level, due to the risk of accumulation of gases.

The visible emission of volcanic gases continues to be punctual and sporadic, concentrating in the area of ​​the eruptive centers and in the jameos of the volcanic tubes. Continuous small collapses occur in the walls of the main and secondary cone craters in favor of existing faults and fissures.

The tremor is at the level of the background noise. Seismicity, which is of low magnitude, is at very low levels at all depths. Despite the current level of seismicity, the occurrence of felt earthquakes is not ruled out.

The emission of sulfur dioxide (SO2) into the atmosphere by the current eruptive process in Cumbre Vieja was low yesterday. The low and very low emission rates are not related to magma rise, but rather to a process of solidification of the superficial magma existing in the conduits of the eruptive center.

In the case of non-visible volcanic gas emanations, the diffuse emission of carbon dioxide (CO2), associated with the 220 km2 of the Cumbre Vieja volcanic system, continues to reflect an emission higher than the average value of the background levels (B ) and yesterday this diffuse emission was 8.5 times the average of the background levels (8.5 x B).

During yesterday, the air quality due to sulfur dioxide (SO2), a pollutant associated with the eruptive process, continued at good levels in all stations and no hourly or daily limit values ​​were exceeded at any station. In the early morning and tomorrow of today good levels of air quality are maintained in all stations.

Regarding particles smaller than 10 microns (PM10), yesterday good levels were maintained in all stations, not exceeding the daily limit value (established at 50 micrograms / m3) in any of them. During the morning of today the values ​​are between good and reasonable in all the stations of the network.

Regarding particles smaller than 10 microns (PM10), yesterday good levels were maintained in all stations, not exceeding the daily limit value (established at 50 micrograms / m3) in any of them. During the morning of today the values ​​are between good and reasonable in all the stations of the network.

Those housed in hotels stand at 557, eight more than yesterday. Of the total, 394 are staying in Fuencaliente, 70 in Los Llanos de Aridane and 93 in Breña Baja, managed by the Red Cross and municipal services. In addition, 43 dependent people continue to be cared for in insular health centers.#

https://www.canarias7.es/canarias/la-pal...25-nt.html

[jand]

Me gustaría desearles a todos una Feliz Navidad y los mejores deseos para el Nuevo Año.


I would like to wish you all a Merry Xmas and all best wishes for the New Year .

[jand]

The weakness of the tremor, the temperature of the coladas and jameos, and the general stability of all the parameters, have been some of the issues that have been discussed at today's meeting of the Steering Committee of the Special Plan for Civil Protection and Emergency Attention for Volcanic Risk of the Canary Islands (PEVOLCA), coordinated by the Minister of Public Administrations, Justice and Security, Julio Pérez.

The technical director of PEVOLCA, Miguel Ángel Morcuende, recalled that during today and tomorrow, on the occasion of Christmas Day, there will be no accompaniments. This will be repeated on December 31 and January 1, 2022. Likewise, he insisted that, when the evacuated areas can be accessed, it must always be done in a accompanied manner, the homes must be permanently ventilated and wait, minimum 15 minutes to enter it, focusing on not entering underground areas such as semi-buried warehouses or garages. In addition, he explained that there are still areas of very hot casting at shallow depths that oscillate around 180 degrees in temperature.

María José Blanco, spokesperson for the Scientific Committee, pointed out that the observables, both direct on the surface and from surveillance systems, continue to show signs of exhaustion of the eruptive process. If this trend continues for the next 24 hours, the PEVOLCA Plan would end the eruptive process. However, the end of the eruption does not imply the end of some dangers associated with the volcanic phenomenon, nor the end of the magmatic reactivation in Cumbre Vieja.

Seismicity continues at very low levels at all depths and tremor continues at the background noise level. Despite this, earthquakes that can be felt are not ruled out.

Regarding deformation, the episode that began last December 19 at the Jedey station (LP03) persists and requires follow-up, although no variations are observed in the rest of the data and observables. Regarding the visible emission of volcanic gases, it is punctual and sporadic, concentrating in the area of ​​the eruptive centers and in the jameos of the volcanic tubes. In addition, small collapses in the crater walls of the main and secondary cone and existing fissures continue to occur.

During yesterday the air quality due to sulfur dioxide (SO2) was at good levels in all seasons, while the emission rate has been low and very low. This is not related to magma ascent, but to a process of solidification of the superficial magma existing in the conduits of the eruptive center.

The diffuse emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) continues to reflect an emission higher than the average value of the background levels and, in fact, yesterday this diffuse emission was 8.5 times the average of the background levels. In some specific areas of Cumbre Vieja, these diffuse CO2 emanations can represent a danger to people as long as high values ​​of diffuse CO2 flux are registered in areas that are not very well ventilated and / or at heights below one meter from the ground as a consequence. of the possible accumulation of CO2 and decrease of oxygen in the air. At the Los Llanos de Aridane station, a slight magmatic-hydrothermal fraction continues to be recorded in the CO2 in the soil atmosphere, while at the Fuencaliente station it is practically nil.

Regarding the concentration of particles less than 10 microns (PM10), air quality levels are maintained in all stations, although yesterday there was a slight increase in them from noon, not exceeding the daily limit value in none of them. However, during this morning the levels remain between good and reasonably good in all the stations of the network.

Regarding the meteorological conditions, the west component wind is expected to turn to the north component during the next morning, weak with a predominance of breezes. Daytime cloudiness is expected today and, as of the next morning, the arrival of a weakened Atlantic front is expected, which will probably produce weak to locally moderate rainfall on the northern slope of La Palma. In this sense, the operation of the airport in the next few hours will be subject only to purely meteorological conditions due to the absence of volcanic ash in the troposphere.

Those housed in hotels stand at 560, three people more than yesterday. Of the total, 385 are staying in Fuencaliente, 105 in Breña Baja and 70 in Los Llanos de Aridane, managed by the Red Cross and municipal services. In addition, 43 dependent people continue to be cared for in insular health centers.

Daily opinion of the Scientific Committee

The observables, both direct on the surface and from surveillance systems, corroborate the signs of exhaustion of the eruptive process. The end of the eruption does not have to imply the end of some dangers associated with the volcanic phenomenon, nor the end of the magmatic reactivation in Cumbre Vieja.

The local deformation episode that began on 12/19 persists, which requires its monitoring, without observing variations in the rest of the data and observables. To be able to say that the eruptive process that began on September 19 is complete, the recorded and observable data must maintain the signs of depletion of the system for one more day.

The visible emission of volcanic gases is punctual and sporadic, concentrating in the area of ​​the eruptive centers and in the jameos of the volcanic tubes.

Continuous small collapses occur in the walls of the main and secondary cone craters in favor of existing faults and fissures.

Wind from component O that will turn to component N during the next morning, light with a predominance of breezes. Today daytime cloudiness is expected. As of the next morning, the arrival of a weakened Atlantic front will probably produce weak to locally moderate rainfall on the N slope of La Palma. The operation of the airport is subject to purely meteorological conditions, due to the absence of volcanic ash in the troposphere. The trend for the next few days is stable and dry Weather around the eruption.
The flows reach temperatures of up to 180 degrees despite the fact that the volcano is depleted
The deformation episode that began last December 19 at the Jedey station (LP03) persists and requires follow-up

The tremor is at the level of the background noise. Seismicity, which is of low magnitude, is at very low levels at all depths. Despite the current level of seismicity, the occurrence of felt earthquakes is not ruled out.

Regarding deformations, without a trend in all stations of the network, except for a local deformation in the Jedey station (LP03) that began on the 19th, it continues after having partially reversed.

As a consequence of the weakness and intermittency of the volcanic gas plume, the SO2 emission ranges will be expressed in units of kilograms per second (kg / s) from this report (*). The emission of sulfur dioxide (SO2) into the atmosphere by the current eruptive process in Cumbre Vieja (visible emanations of volcanic gases), registered through the use of remote optical sensors type miniDOAS in a land mobile position, was LOW yesterday ( 12/22). The LOW and VERY LOW emission rates are not related to magma rise, but rather to a process of solidification of the superficial magma existing in the conduits of the eruptive center.

In the case of non-visible volcanic gas emanations, the diffuse emission of carbon dioxide (CO2), associated with the 220 km2 of the Cumbre Vieja volcanic system, continues to reflect an emission higher than the average value of the background levels (B ) and during yesterday (12/22) this diffuse emission was 8.5 times the average of the background levels (8.5 x B). This diffuse emission is estimated after evaluating and integrating hundreds of diffuse CO2 flow measurements that are carried out at observation points distributed throughout the volcanic building of Cumbre Vieja. In some specific areas of Cumbre Vieja, these diffuse CO2 emanations can represent a danger to people as long as high values ​​of diffuse CO2 flux are registered in areas that are not very well ventilated and / or at heights below one meter from the ground as a consequence. of the possible accumulation of CO2 and decrease of oxygen (O2) in the air. At the Los Llanos de Aridane station (LP10) a slight magmatic-hydrothermal fraction continues to be recorded in the CO2 of the soil atmosphere, while this is practically nil at the Fuencaliente station (LP08). All these geochemical observations are consistent with the current eruptive process. At the Los Llanos de Aridane station (LP10) a slight magmatic-hydrothermal fraction continues to be recorded in the CO2 of the soil atmosphere, while this is practically nil at the Fuencaliente station (LP08). All these geochemical observations are consistent with the current eruptive process. At the Los Llanos de Aridane station (LP10) a slight magmatic-hydrothermal fraction continues to be recorded in the CO2 of the soil atmosphere, while this is practically nil at the Fuencaliente station (LP08). All these geochemical observations are consistent with the current eruptive process.

During yesterday the air quality due to sulfur dioxide (SO2), a pollutant associated with the eruptive process, continued at good levels in all seasons. No exceedances of the hourly or daily limit values ​​have been recorded in any station. In the early morning and tomorrow of today good levels of air quality are maintained in all stations.

With regard to particles smaller than 10 microns (PM10), yesterday, air quality levels have been maintained in all stations, with a slight increase in them from noon, not exceeding the limit value daily (set at 50 µg / m3) in none of them. During the morning of today the levels are maintained, between good and reasonably good in all the stations of the network. Consult the website of the Government of the Canary Islands for Air Quality:

https://www.canarias7.es/canarias/la-pal...ados&vli=_

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Photo from AEMET's twitter today. Let's hope it brings safety and prosperity to the people of La Palma:

[jand]

María José Blanco: "The volcano has been unpredictable, it evolved very quickly"
The Canary Islands director of the National Geographic Institute emphasizes that this "is going to be the first time that the reconstruction of an area covered by lava flows has been undertaken"

The volcano in Cumbre Vieja has been "unpredictable" for the scientific community, which has been surprised "by the speed with which it has evolved", although within that unpredictability "the most notable changes in its behavior have been anticipated."

This is attested by the director in the Canary Islands of the National Geographic Institute (IGN), María José Blanco, who has served as spokesperson for the scientific committee of the Volcanic Emergency Plan of the Canary Islands (Pevolca), in alternation with her colleague Carmen López, throughout the almost three months that the eruptive process lasted.

Blanco points out, in an interview with Efe, that the eruption began earlier than scientists calculated based on the evolution of the seismic swarm detected just a week earlier under La Palma, and recalls that its completion "was also very abrupt."

At 9:00 p.m. on Monday, December 13, the volcanic tremor disappeared , the vibration produced by the displacement of magma to the surface, just one day after a phase of great explosiveness.

In between , the volcano alternated, as was collected every day in the report prepared by the Pevolca scientific committee, phases of greater or lesser activity. There was even a total stoppage for more than ten hours .

That happened on September 27, eight days after the eruption began , and was, according to Blanco, one of the most delicate moments of the entire volcanic crisis.

Scientists feared explosions much more violent than those that the volcano had then to unclog the conduit between the subsoil and the crater and to expel lava with great effusiveness.

So many and so rapid were the changes in the behavior of the volcano, by stromolian, Hawaiian and even Vulcanian phases, that it did not give rise to holding meetings of the crisis committee more spaced apart in time.

The analyzes every 24 hours were "minimal and essential" and, there were even days when two meetings were held due to the rapid advance of the laundry, reports Blanco.

A rash "without manual"

Several times throughout the volcanic crisis it has been heard that the eruption has been "manual". However, María José Blanco points out that " there was not much manual" to face this type of emergency beyond the historical references of the eruptions that occurred in the Canary Islands previously.

"None like this one", except that of the underwater Tagoro volcano, in El Hierro , which occurred ten years ago, has been "so closely monitored", says the director of the IGN in the Canary Islands.

That of Cumbre Vieja has allowed the different scientific institutions involved in the crisis to improve their knowledge and the tools for monitoring and analysis, and with this, polish "the advice" to the authorities in charge of managing the civil protection emergency.

Another recurring expression regarding volcanism in the Canary Islands is that the eruptions are quiet.

In this regard, María José Blanco affirms that in the case of La Palma “they occur in the same areas and their behavior has a wide range . This has not left that range except for the duration and the large volume of casts it has issued. It does not differ much from the San Juan volcano, which occurred in 1949 also in the Aridane Valley, on the Cumbre Vieja ridge.

The most significant novelty, according to Blanco, is that “ this volcano puts on the table, Canarian society and its managers, that the eruptions are there . By ignoring them, they will not stop happening ", he says.

He believes that one of the major lessons of this eruption is that "legislation must be enacted so that the recovery phases are increasingly simple".

It emphasizes that this "is going to be the first time that the reconstruction of an area covered by lava flows has been tackled."

Coming home, a long process

He warns that the return home of those who were evicted but their homes resisted the passage of the lava will not be a short process.

"We are talking about weeks" for the degassing of the casts to end , "and months for the total cooling" of them, although in areas where the thicknesses exceed 50 meters, "that period will be even longer."

It has been a hundred days at the foot of the volcano, in which the key, says Blanco, has been to "keep a very cool head and not put all the meat on the grill from the beginning."

He acknowledges that the greatest difficulty has been to put an expiration date on the volcano and adds that in the scientific literature it will appear that its duration was 86 days.

The ten additional days until it was officially shut down were "as a precaution" and because it recalls that volcanoes like San Juan were reactivated after several days of standing still.

He admits that one of the things that has surprised him the most is "the appreciation of the palm society for the work of science . " «For me it would never have been imaginable. People come up to us to thank us “, value.

However, he knows that, sooner or later, that notoriety and that recognition will be significantly lowered.

Blanco ironizes that «going back to anonymity has some very good parts», but clarifies: «Just as they will forget the actors, they will not forget the phenomenon, which has to be present in the head -of the people- and in the plans educational at all levels.

https://www.canarias7.es/canarias/la-pal...e%22&vli=_

[jand]

Seismic activity continues on La Palma; nine earthquakes tonight
None of them felt by the population and most of the earthquakes are located at depths of less than 10 km

The 24-hour monitoring volcanic surveillance network of the National Geographic Institute (IGN) has located nine earthquakes overnight on the island of La Palma, none of them felt by the population, despite the completion of the volcanic eruption .

The seismicity continues under the central area of ​​Cumbre Vieja, in the same areas of previous days. Most of the earthquakes are located at depths of less than 10 km, two at intermediate depths, between 10 and 15 km, and only one at depths greater than 20 km.

The maximum recorded magnitude was 2.2 (mbLg) corresponding to two earthquakes located at 05.19 and 07.05 hours, with depths of 37 and 12 km . Nine earthquakes were located yesterday, two of them with magnitudes greater than 2.0 (mbLg). Neither was felt.


https://www.canarias7.es/canarias/la-pal...alma&vli=_