SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 29 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Activity in the effusive focus located on the northwest flank of the main cone of the La Palma volcano has decreased notably in recent hours, although it continues to feed lava tubes from the lava field. The rest of the main emission centers have significantly decreased their activity, which is currently mainly focused on the new eruptive sources that opened yesterday.
The director of the National Geographic Institute (IGN) in the Canary Islands and spokesperson for the Pevolca Scientific Committee, María José Blanco, reported at a press conference that from the new more southeastern fissure, which has an approximate East-West orientation, a lava flow that forks in the upper area. One of the branches circulates slowly over old laundry and another has overflowed in the north and could affect La Laguna.
The technical director of Pevolca, Miguel Ángel Morcuende, specified that this wash that has overflowed is sticking to the front of wash number 8 and is traveling that flank with less and less speed. At the moment it is 1.5 kilometers from La Laguna and it is expected that it will finish riding the wash 8 or stop, which seems most likely given the amount of solid material it has swallowed and the lower thrust from the cone. Consequently, in principle it is expected that this casting does not have any signs of advancing much further.
On the other hand, yesterday the air quality due to sulfur dioxide (SO2) reached “very unfavorable” levels in Los Llanos de Aridane and Tazacorte and “unfavorable” in El Paso. The hourly limit value (established at 350 micrograms / m3) was exceeded in 17 of the 24 hours a day in the Los Llanos station, in 10 in Tazacorte and in 2 in El Paso. Among these values, eleven of them in Los Llanos and one in Tazacorte exceeded the alert threshold (established at 500 micrograms / m3).
Especially significant was the episode of pollution that occurred between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm in Los Llanos de Aridane, with six consecutive values above the hourly alert threshold, which meant the issuance of the corresponding warning to the population.
As a consequence of these accumulated values, exceedances of the daily average reference threshold were recorded both in Los Llanos and in El Paso and Tazacorte. The average daily value recorded in Los Llanos is the highest in the entire series. In these three stations, the values were reduced yesterday evening to ‘good’ or ‘reasonably good’ levels, which is what all the island’s stations are at right now.
Throughout the night and early morning of today, the values recorded at the Los Llanos, Tazacorte and Puntagorda stations maintain an upward trend, reaching levels between reasonably good and regular, without exceeding the hourly limit value so far. .
Regarding PM10 particles, yesterday levels observed in all stations ‘good’ or ‘reasonably good’ were maintained throughout the day and today they remain at the same levels in all stations. Citizens are invited to consult the air quality website of the Government of the Canary Islands.
INCREASE OF VISITORS.
On the other hand, with a view to the next bridge in December, an increase in people traveling to the island of La Palma to see the volcano is expected, especially at night. For this reason, the technical director of Pevolca has underlined the importance of these people using reflective vests, since there are many people who circulate along the ditches of the roads that go to the viewpoints of Tajuya and El Time that do not have the minimum of security in this matter.
Regarding the number of housed, there are 528 people in hotel centers. Of the total, 422 are staying at the Fuencaliente hotel, 36 in Breña Baja and 70 in Los Llanos de Aridane. In addition, there are 43 dependent people cared for in insular health centers.
The area affected by lava is 1,115.82 hectares. Likewise, the southern lava delta reaches 43.46 hectares and the northern lava delta, 5.05. The maximum width between runs remains at 3,350 meters.
REPORT OF THE SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE.
The height of the column measured today was 1,400 meters with a scattering cloud in a South-Southwest direction. Regarding the meteorology, the anticyclonic situation continues with the predominance of the trade wind. At low levels there is a gusty northeast wind with values that can reach 60-70 km / h in peaks, El Paso and Los Llanos de Aridane. At levels ranging from surface to 5,000 meters, the wind is from the northeast and the ash cloud is expected, at least for the next 48-72 hours, to move west-southwest, which will favor the operation of La Palma Airport. . Until next Wednesday the weather situation will be very similar and there is a probability of weak to locally moderate rainfall on the northern and eastern slopes of the island.
Seismicity at intermediate depths has increased in the last 24 hours and continues to be located in the same areas. As for the seismicity at depths greater than 20 kilometers, it remains at low levels. The maximum magnitude reached in the last 24 hours corresponds to an earthquake of magnitude 5.0 mbLg registered today at 08.35 hours at a depth of 35 kilometers and felt with intensity V. The level of the tremor is at low values after an episode of intensification registered in yesterday.
Regarding the deformation, some local element is observed in the vicinity of the eruptive center and some signs of meteorological origin.
The emission of sulfur dioxide (SO2) associated with the volcanic plume remains high. However, the set of data recorded continues to maintain a downward trend since last September 23, when an extremely high value was recorded. In the case of the diffuse emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) associated with the Cumbre Vieja building, it continues to register values above the average of the background levels and yesterday the emission was five times this average.
