La Palma volcano: eruption, tsunami warning | Summary news, 17 October
La Palma volcano eruption: live updates
Headlines
- Volcanic activity enters 33rd day on Friday, having begun on 19 September
- Stranded dogs rescued by mysterious A-Team
- More than 600 tremors were registered in La Palma in the last week, according to Spain's Instituto Geográfico Nacional
- Strongest earthquake registered on Tuesday night, 4.8 magnitude
- Lava flow now covers surface area of 811.8 hectares according to Copernicus radar imaging, with 22.2 hectares added in just seven hours
- 35,000 earthquakes and tremors recorded in La Palma during the past month
- Nearly 2,000 buildings destroyed by lava flow
- Cumbre Vieja eruption the "most significant since 1585", according to Copernicus
- No short or medium term end to eruption claim experts, as more La Palma residents forced to evacuate
- Delta has claimed around 40 hectares of new land from the Atlantic
Useful information
- Volcanologist speaks to AS about the effects of lava reaching the sea
- An overview of the active volcanoes on the Canary Islands
- When was the last volcanic eruption on the Canary Islands?
Lava continues to flow from La Palma volcano
Since first erupting more than a month ago, more than 2,000 homes are thought to have been destroyed and thousands of residents forced to evacuated. Lava from the Cumbre Vieja volcano continues to flow through the streets and an enormous clean-up operation will be required to restore the island to its previous state.
Want to learn more about volcanoes to understand what is is happening in La Palma?
Check out this volcano explainer video put together by National Geographic.
BBC reports that scientists are taking samples in La Palma to understand "the viscosity of the semi-molten material."
The scientists from Spain's Geological and Mining Institute will use the samples to better understand the volcanic material left by the eruption to learn more about the volcanoes in the area.
Rescuers to use drones to save stranded dogs
A resuce team operating on La Palma, the Spanish island which has been dealing with an active volcano for the last month, have announced that they intend to use drones to save a group of dogs trapped by the lava streaming across parts of the island. They admit that they have no experience of a similar rescue but with experts predicting that there is no end to the volcano in sight this is the best chance of saving the dogs.
La Palma ecosystem impact
The Spanish National Research Council has posted a video showing some of the marine life surviving following the volcanic eruption and lava spill into the sea. This footage is taken at a depth of 400m.
La Palma dog rescue revealed
Like a movie twist in Hollywood, the rescue of a hunter's podencos dogs - that had been trapped for almost a month by the eruption of the volcano of La Palma - was eventually undertaken.
A well-known drone company (see below) was already preparing their rescue but as the operation was put into action, they found that the animals were no longer there. A group of neighbours, calling themselves 'Team A', had taken them out of the affected zone.
"I can only confirm that the dogs are doing very well." a source confirmed to us, wishing to remain anonymous. But there was one exception.
"They found five podencos. One had passed away," the source confirmed.
Volcanic eruption captured
The Geological and Mining Institute of Spain has linked to cameras showing the new spectacular eruption at Cumbre Vieja.
New images of the volcanic eruption
New footage provided by the Volcanological Institute of the Canary Islands (Involcan) show the state of the Cumbre Vieja volcano eruption from the San Nicolas road, in the town of Tacande, at 17:00 local time (12:00 ET).
Volcano, lava flow... footage and images
A number of our followers have admitted to us that, although sending their heartfelt best wishes to those affected by the volcano in La Palma, they are really keen to see the spectacular images that have come from it.
If you're in this camp, a follow of the newly created @LaPalmaErupcion is not the worst idea you can have today.
Keeping an eye on La Palma
We've got a camera or two hooked up on the island giving you a real-time glimpse into what is happening with the volcano and lava flow.
La Palma dogs saved...by the A-Team!
Despite the previously reported plan by Aerocamera drone operators to launch a daring rescue mission to carry several dogs out of a volcano's lava zone, it appears they can now move onto a new project. Upon closer inspection in their preparations they noticed that all of the dogs were already gone.
It was apparently the work of a group of mysterious rescuers, who left a spray-painted banner reading "The dogs are fine." The message was signed, "A Team."
The dogs' plight has made headlines for weeks, after emergency teams realized the animals had been stranded by lava from a volcano's prolonged eruption on the island of La Palma, Spain.
Aerocamaras will not leave La Palma dogs behind
The drone company Aerocamaras has stated that they will not be ending their attempts to free the dogs trapped amid the lava flow until it is achieved.
Three drones will be used to rescue these dogs. But before the dogs are removed from the ponds where they are currently stuck, one of the fundamental steps will be to accustom the animals to the presence of the drones.
Thermographic cameras will be used to examine the exact location for their extraction.
PhD students travel to La Palma to monitor the eruption and help answer the question: "Why do some volcanoes reactive after taking a nap?"
Local La Palma council recommend FFP2 masks
The local council, who met earlier on Thursday claim that, despite good air quality on the majority of the island, those closer to the Cumbre Vieja volcano should wear an FFP2 mask as a deterrent against inhalation of ash particles.
La Palma and other Canary Islands remain on Covid alert level 1
The eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano comes at a time when the Canaries and the rest of Spain manage to get a foothold in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic with alert levels on the islands at the lowest level of 1.
Cumbre Vieja in numbers
The volcano on the island of La Palma which erupted on 19 September has seem lava cover 866,1 hectares of land, destroyed 2,185 buildings on the island with a further 76 in danger.
Ash from Cumbre Vieja could reach neighboring El Hierro island
Local IGN director María José Blanco stated that given the wind direction, it could not be ruled out that ash from the Cumbre Vieja volcano could reach neighboring island El Hierro and also observed that more seismis activity is inevitable with greater tremors anticipated.
Mystery team claims to have rescued the dogs left trapped by the volcano
The Spanish drone company that was trying to airlift the animals has detected human tracks in the area and is preparing to abandon the project
Colourful Cumbre Vieja as captured by Reuters
Reuters photographer Susana Vera captured this colorful profile from Tajuya of the Cumbre Vieja volcano as it continues to erupt on the Canary Island of La Palma.
La Palma airport functioning again
The airport on the island has flights running as normal but local airlines Binter and Iberia recommend double checking flight status before heading to the airport.
La Palma evacuees see no end to ordeal after month of volcanic eruption
Reuters - One month after the Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted on La Palma spewing red-hot lava and ash, Culberta Cruz, her husband and their dog are living in a caravan on a parking lot and see no end in sight.
Eruption "completely overwhelming" firefighters
Firefighters on La Palma have released a video of the advance of the lava flow in La Laguna, in a tweet in which they speak plainly about the difficulties they're facing as they battle the effects of the Cumbre Vieja eruption.
“The situation on the island of La Palma is completely overwhelming us and showing us that nothing can prepare you for this,” the Gran Canaria Fire Service said.
“Nevertheless, we’ll continue to be there because it hurts us as much as it does the people of La Palma.”
Drones feed starving dogs abandoned near erupting La Palma volcano
The Independent - Alarming footage shows the moment a drone operator spots abandoned dogs near erupting the La Palma volcano and launches a rescue mission.
The volcano that has caused chaos and destruction on the island of La Palma, in Spain, has now been erupting for a month and authorities say there’s no end in sight, leaving heartache for the towns here and people who live in them.
Over 2,000 buildings and 1,800 acres have been covered in lava as many animals like dogs have been left homeless or abandoned with drones bringing food to ones they found stranded.
Volcano eruption in La Palma
Footage of the La Palma eruption taken from the Llano del Jable Astronomical Viewpoint at 13:00 local time on October 21.
La Palma residents shield themselves from volcanic debris
One month after the Cumbre Vieja volcano first erupted and residents of the Spanish island of La Palma are still forced to adapt to the ongoing eruptions that have seen a large proportion of the island evacuated. In this clip from CBS Baltimore, residents can be seen sheltering under umbrellas earlier this week.
Francisco Ramos, who was evacuated from his house one month ago, looks at the state of his home from a lookout as the Cumbre Vieja volcano continues to erupt on La Palma.
Photo: REUTERS/Susana Vera
Where are most volcanoes located?
Volcanism is responsible for over 80 percent of Earth’s surface both above and below sea level, but where are the most volcanoes located today?
Copernicus: Update 26
Copernicus, the EU satellite observation programme that has been offering updates on the size of the Cumbre Vieja lava flow and the damage it has caused on La Palma.
For the first time, it used its radar imagery to provide its 26th update.
- Extent of the lava flow: 866.1 ha
- 2185 destroyed buildings
Spanish Civil Guards check who enters an evacuated area at a checkpoint at El Charco on Wednesday, as the Cumbre Vieja volcano continues to erupt on La Palma.
Photo: REUTERS/Susana Vera
Eye-catching images of the Cumbre Vieja eruption
This video filmed on La Palma on Wednesday evening shows some striking images of the lava flowing from the Cumbre Vieja volcano.
Several areas evacuated
Pevolca, the Canary Islands' volcano emergency response body, has ordered the evacuation of a number of areas: Las Martelas in the municipality of Los Llanos de Aridane, and Marina Alta, Marina Baja, La Condesa and Cuesta Zapata in the municipality of Tazacorte.
How many active volcanoes are there in the Canary Islands?
The Canary Islands in Spain were formed hundreds of thousands of years ago by volcanoes, and some are still active.
La Palma volcano eruption updates: welcome
Hello and welcome to our live blog for Thursday 21 October 2021, bringing you the latest updates and information on the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on La Palma.
Many believed it would be short-lived when the lava first began flowing way back on 19 September. As we now know, that prediction was a long way from what has transpired since.