From the Pevolca they confirm the reactivation of the ‘seismic swarm’ in Fuencaliente and for now the quality of the water and the air is not affected
SANTA CRUZ DE LA PALMA, Sep 27 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The volcanic eruption that began eight days ago in Cumbre Vieja continues its evolution with the normality of a fissure and strombolian type volcano that behaves “as such”, with continuity and discontinuity, as has happened during a few hours of this Monday, when the lava and ash emissions have ceased.
This has been confirmed at a press conference by the technical director of Pevolca, Miguel Ángel Morcuende, and the spokesperson of the scientific committee, María José Blanco – director of the IGN in the Canary Islands – who have stressed that they should not worry about these changes taking place during the process.
Blanco has pointed out that the volcano has already emitted 46.3 million cubic meters of magmatic material – more than the eruption of Teneguía in 1971 – and highlighted that the strombolian mechanism is concentrated in the main cone and there have been magmatic pulses – whitish column that disappears and reaches great height–.
Thus, he pointed out that the process “will continue to show it” in the near future and although the explosions have stopped in the cone, which has been modifying its structure, “they can be produced again and abruptly”.
DECREASE IN GAS AND LESS MATERIAL
Blanco has attributed this modification to a change in the duct due to a decrease in gas content since it has less supply of available material, and as happened with the Tagoro volcano in El Hierro in 2011, once the eruption began, the Seismic activity has moved further south, with a ‘swarm’ that began in Fuencaliente, with earthquakes of up to magnitude 3.2 and depths between 8 and 13 kilometers.
“This, which indicates,” he pointed out, is that there is again intrusion of magmatic material to the south of the island.
He has also pointed out that there are two active streams, one at a “very low” speed, and another divided into two, one slower because it has run into the Todoque mountain, but it will end up turning it “and will join the other, which it’s going faster. “
Regarding air quality, he has said that it is still good although it may worsen due to the change in the direction of the winds and push the cloud of ash and sulfur dioxide towards the islands of La Gomera and Tenerife, while again ruling out that in the next 24 hours acid rain phenomena occur.
Blanco has also confirmed that the volcanic tremor has dropped considerably while the deformations continue with horizontal stabilization and vertical decrease.
300 PEOPLE CONFINED ON THE COSTA DE TAZACORTE
Morcuende, for his part, has indicated that both the quality of the air and the water “is still good” and “there is no problem for health”, apart from the fact that the ash is being deposited on the ground in many parts of the island.
He has maintained that “it is probable” that the lava reaches the sea on the coast of Tazacorte, although he has commented that the main flow has slowed down, otherwise, it would have arrived this morning.
“We do not know if the lava is going to arrive, yesterday we thought it would arrive this morning and it is likely that it will arrive. The trajectory is not clear, we follow up with drones and a thermographic analysis to know what the lava is like, we are permanently monitoring , and when the lava is fluid, we know that it will approach the sea, but the temperature and viscosity fluctuates “, he commented.
Regarding the confinement of some 300 people in the nuclei of San Borondón, Marina Alta, Marina Baja and La Condesa, in the municipality of Tazacorte, due to their proximity to a possible arrival of the lava to the sea, he has indicated that the measure is “preventive “Since the inhalation of gases can affect the skin, the eyes and the respiratory system.
For now, the number of evacuees remains at about 5,600 people who are staying in second homes, houses of friends and family, tourist complexes and the military shelter in Breña Baja.
