La Palma volcano summary: 26 October 2021
La Palma volcano eruption: Tue 26 October
How many earthquakes were felt in La Palma on 26 October?
Spanish authorities confirmed 184 earthquakes today. Experts also explained that volcanic and seismic activity has increased over the last few days, more than a month since the event began.
Photo/EFE
Food aid from World Central Kitchen
World Central Kitchen provides an inside look into their opperation in La Palma. The Spanish chef Jose Andres' organization has been on the ground for weeks providing food aid to families and first responders with help from local taxi drivers and postal workers.
Tourists descend on La Palma to get a glimpse of the historic explosion
Since the erruption began more than a month ago, some tourists have come to the island to see the event for their own eyes. Some of these visitors were captured on 26 October as experts report that the volanic activty has picked up to its highest levels.
Satellite images capture the ongoing volcanic eruption in La Palma
More than 7,000 people have had to evacuate their homes in the last five weeks because of the threat the volcano has posed to communities in and around the area. With no end in site, many more could be impacted.
World Central Kitchen maintains presence in La Palma
Spanish chef, Jose Andres' food support organization World Central Kitchen has been in La Palma to support residents who have been displaced by the emergency.
A man uses a spyglass from the Tajuya viewpoint to observe the Cumbre Vieja volcano, on the Canary Island of La Palma, Spain, October 26, 2021.
Photo by REUTERS/Borja Suárez
The inner cone has collapsed on itself. This video recorded at 18.50 (Canarian time) shows the volcanic plume.
La Palma volcano shows no sign of stopping after six weeks
Fire, lava and ash spewed from the La Palma volcano on October 26 morning as the eruption showed no sign of stopping after nearly six weeks.
The Cumbre Vieja volcano continues to erupt as seen from El Paso, on the Canary Island of La Palma, Spain, October 26, 2021.
Photo by REUTERS/Borja Suárez
La Palma volcano evacuees see no end to ordeal since September 19 eruption
Reuters - Streams of red-hot lava have engulfed almost 800 hectares (2,000 acres) of land, destroying about 2,000 buildings and many banana plantations since the eruption started on September 19 at La Palma in Spain. More than 6,000 people have been evacuated.
Over one month after the Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted on the Spanish island of La Palma spewing red-hot lava and ash, Culberta Cruz, her husband and their dog are living in a tiny caravan on a parking lot and see no end to the ordeal insight.
"I'm tired, so tired... But who are we to fight against nature?," the 56-year-old hospital kitchen worker said, sitting on a camping chair.
Local residents observe the evolution of the Cumbre Vieja volcanoeruption from the Tajuya viewpoint on La Palma. REUTERS/Borja Suarez
Thermographic imaging of lava flow
The Canary Islands Volcanology Institute has released this thermographic imaging of the lava flow as it spills down Cumbre Vieja. Involcan also reported on Tuesday the appearance of a dust cloud on the west coast of La Palma, possibly caused by the intense seismic activity affecting the island over the last few days.
La Palma residents given advice
The local authorities continue to share guidance to the island residents so that they are as prepared as possible for any significant earthquakes that are still to come.
In this video there are a variety of tips which covers the periods before, during and after a potential intensity VI tremor.
Monitoring the La Palma volcano
The Volcanological Institute of the Canary Islands has posted images of the 'multi-gas' station that they installed yesterday. This provides sensors for CO2, temperature and particles and managed by researchers from the Azorean institutions CIVISA and IVAR.
Cumbre Vieja: lava flow watch
The flow of the lava is moving in a south-westerly direction. Latest images.
Volcanic high-tech
Various expert teams are joining together with their knowledge to assess the situation on La Palma. And here they are showing some of the advanced tech that comes with them.
Earthquake guidance for La Palma
With continuing tremors expected, authorities have provided guidelines for residents in affected areas of the island.
This includes fixing down heavy objects and furniture that could move in the event of a significant earthquake and also, especially for education centres, removing objects that could fall from heights.
Seismic activity increases in La Palma
"The seismic activity continues to be located in the same geographical areas and has increased in intermediate depths, between 10 and 15 kilometres, also increasing the probability of earthquakes felt by the residents, up to intensity VI," states Tuesday's report of the Department of Homeland Security (DSN).
Regarding the ash: "The new ash plume, which had recently appeared to the south, is currently almost at a standstill.
"The average height of the plume and gases reached 3,800 metres yesterday and the meteorological conditions are currently favourable in terms of air quality and for airport operations on the islands."
Happy anniversary Teneguía!
A reminder from the Canary news organisation that today is the 50th anniversary of the Teneguía eruption.
They have provided a selection of photos and also point out the importance of volcanoes to the existence of the beautiful Canary Islands.
Drone images over La Palma
The following footage has been shared by the local authorities of the Canary Islands, as drones fly over with both normal and infra-red cameras.
32 earthquakes registered in La Palma
The National Geographic Institute (IGN) has registered a further 32 earthquakes on the island during the early hours of Tuesday morning, all recorded in Fuencaliente or Villa de Mazo.
The one with the highest magnitude was felt at 7.05 a.m. (Canary time) and its magnitude was 4.2 and was 36 kilometers deep under Mazo.
Volcanic impact on marine life is "minor, for now"
The Secretary General of Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Alicia Villauriz, said that the impact of the volcanic eruption in La Palma on the marine life is "minor, for now" and that, for now, no dead fish have been found.
The head of the General Secretariat of Fisheries has pointed out that 'complete' and 'daily' monitoring of the marine environment is being carried out, with immersions by biologists, as well as a geological monitoring of the changes that occur.
"To date no dead fish have been detected," said Villauriz, who has distinguished the picture in La Palma from the situation that was caused on the island of El Hierro with the underwater eruption of 2011, where there was indeed deaths for the marine life, reports EFE.
The current concern: deformation of main cone
The director of the National Geographic Institute (IGN) in the Canary Islands, María José Blanco, has assured residents that the new lava flows that have arisen in recent hours have "the optimal direction" so should not cause major material damage.
However, there is growing concern that the main cone could suffer a significant deformation which could then influence a change in direction taken by the lava flows.
More images of Monday's cone collapse
Here is further video footage of the aftermath of yesterday's third break in the Cumbre Vieja cone.
Further break in Cumbre Vieja cone
The Canary Islands Volcanology Institute (Involcan) reported another break in the Cumbre Vieja cone, which appears to have occurred around 8:30pm local time last night. It has seen greater amounts of lava flowing from the volcano.
"A few minutes ago the cone broke and caused more lava overflows and landslides that have generated air currents," Involcan said on its Twitter feed at 8:46pm local time.
This is the third break in the cone registered so far today.
Where are most volcanoes located?
Volcanoes are found the world over, forming mainly at the edges of tectonic plates but can also arise over “hot spots” such as the one that created the Hawaii Islands. In total there are potentially some 1,500 active volcanoes on Earth according the US Geological Survey. Of those, 51 are now in continuing eruption status, the most recent on La Palma in the Canary Islands.
Many of those volcanoes are located on the “Ring of Fire” which is located all along the Pacific Rim. However, the greatest number of volcanoes are hidden from view deep under water on the ocean floor.
Find out more about Earth's volcanoes.
How volcanic ash is impacting La Palma marine life
New images under the sea near La Palma show the amount of ash that has landed on the ocean floor. The marine life has been impacted by the ash, and could be threatened going forward.
However, many of these ecosystem will regenerate as they have evolved with volcanic eruption as a normal part of the biologic and environmental process.
More evacuations as eruptions continues
7,000 people have had to evacuate their homes in La Palma as the lava continues to flow from the volcano.
La Palma volcano eruption updates: welcome
Hello and welcome to our live blog for Tuesday 26 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.