La Palma volcano eruption news summary: 29 October 2021
La Palma volcano eruption: live updates
- Volcano nears end of its sixth week of activity, having begun on 19 September
- New lava flowing into previously formed 'lava tunnels'
- Local council president suggests bombing the lava flows from Cumbre Vieja
- CBS News published incorrect graphic suggesting La Palma, an island, was on mainland Spain.
- Concerns about La Palma air quality after main cone collapse
- Over 35,000 earthquakes and tremors recorded in La Palma over the past month
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?
Watch live coverage from Cumbre Vieja
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?
Cortefiel launch La Palma solidarity t-shirt
The high street chain Cortefiel has launched a La Palma aid t-shirt with all money raised going to the island. Comedian Buenfeuente who designed the t-shirt and Canary Island actress Toni Acosta model the shirt which is available for 20 euro.
The unisex t-shirt is available here in black/white
Cumbre Viejo destruction
One of the many houses caused by the lava flow from the Cumbre Vieja volcano which has now been active for more than 40 days and shows no sign of ceasing its activity according to experts on the Canary Island of La Palma.
Cumbre Vieja tourism
The local La Palma police have implemented a series of patrols to avoid cars and volcano tourists from getting too close to the danger area with a deluge of tourists expected this weekend on the Canary Island. The local council have decided to lay on special shuttle buses from the capital to safe vantage points so the tourists can witness the volcano at close, but safe quarters.
LaLiga clubs join forces to help La Palma
The 42 LaLiga Santander clubs and LaLiga SmartBank are joining the charity auction of jerseys to help those affected by the volcanic eruption on La Palma. Under the slogan 'LaLiga Con La Palma', and with a campaign that started in mid-October and will last until the beginning of November, money will be collected to be donated to El Cabildo, governing body of the island, to cover the needs of those affected.
159 earthquakes recorded in past 24 hours
There is no let up to the seismic activity being generated by the active Cumbre Viejo volcano with La Palma recording 159 earth quakes and tremors in the past 24 hours with seven of these being recorded at depths of 30 km below ground level.
"Palmeros, we'll get through this"
CD Mensajero (La Palma's highest profile soccer club who play in the forth tier in Spain) acknowledged 40 days of the Cumbre Vieja activity with a Twitter message of encouragement stating 'Palmeros, we'll get through this".
A 'lava bomb' rolls down a hill as the Cumbre Vieja volcano continues to erupt, on the Canary Island of La Palma, Spain.
In this still image form a social media video. Video recorded October 27, 2021. Harri Geiger/via REUTERS
Tourists flock to La Palma
With this weekend being a long weekend with Monday being a holiday, all flights to La Palma are sold out with many flocking to the island to add their support and others anxious to see the Cumbre Vieja volcano at close quarters. All major hotels on the island's capital (Santa Cruz de La Palma) this weekend are at 100% occupancy rate.
Grande-Marlaska to head to La Palma
Spanish Minister for the Interior Fernando Grande-Marlaska is set to travel to the stricken island of La Palma on Monday as the Spanish government maintain the tradition of sending high ranking official to to the island on a weekly basis
Run for La Palma
A charity virtual race will take place in the final weekend of November for the stricken island with runners all around the world able to enter. Runners can run 5km or 10km and the signing up fee costs six euro and all money raised will go towards helping lives hampered by the Cumbre Vieja volcano.
La Palma volcano update
As of 2 p.m. local time (9 a.m. ET) there had been 159 earthquakes recorded on the island with the greatest reaching a magnitude of 4.2.
Much of the lava flow that was visible before is now going through what are called lava tunnels, which are internal, and the new lava flow can run inside the previous ones.
Thermal view of La Palma
This satellite thermal imagery from above La Palma shows the detailed zone in and around the Cumbre Vieja volcano.
Final La Palma damage toll unknown
The president of the Canary Islands, Ángel Victor Torres, has reaffirmed that they still do not know how much more destruction the volcanic eruption of La Palma will cause.
But he did, however, want to give encouragement to everyone and stated that he is sure that the volcano will not defeat the society of La Palma and the Canary Islands.
New mapping to reveal accurate volcanic emissions
The volcanic eruption of Cumbre Vieja has become the most significant in the last five centuries on La Palma. So far, it has covered an area of more than 900 hectares, according to the European Copernicus system.
Regarding how much material, including pyroclast rock and lava, this volcano has emitted since the eruption began, the Canary Islands Volcanic Emergency Plan (Pevolca) has commissioned updated mapping of the Aridane Valley. A new digital terrain model will now be created to determine the exact height of the lava flows and ash mountains.
Carmen Lopez, from the National Geographic Institute (IGN), has said that the estimates made so far from thermometry have been "very inaccurate". The range of values oscillates between 50 and 100 million. The spokesman for the Volcanological Institute of the Canary Islands, David Calvo, said that the figure stands this week at about 120 million cubic meters.
Faced with this variation in estimates, scientists need to have a more reliable tool, hence this latest move.
La Palma on fire
This image was taken by Carlos Lorenzo at the institute from the viewpoint at Jable. Just another example of how this flow is not showing signs of slowing.
Drone eye's view over Cumbre Vieja
This latest footage from the Geology Institute provides clearer insight into the situation with the lava flows on La Palma.
La Palma volcano "should be bombed" to divert lava flow
A short while ago I showed you an example of the very real threat to the local population of 'lava bombs'. Well, it was just a few days ago when the idea of 'bombs' was put forward as a means to sort the devastating lava flows.
There is little the emergency services can do to stop or divert the path of the lava, leading the president of the La Gomera Municipal Council, Casimiro Curbelo, to suggest a drastic strategy: using military aircraft to bomb the flows in an attempt to stop them in their tracks.
“Isn’t there a plane that can fly and drop… and send the lava in a different direction? Maybe its madness, but the technology today is much more reliable and I think it should be attempted.
"Although it is true it would have to fly at a reasonable altitude, but then it can get close and drop and… boom!” Curbelo reportedly said.
Click on the image/title above to read more.
La Palma fundraising gala planned
The Council of Associations of Alcorcón has announced that a charity gala to raise funds for those affected in La Palma will take place on Sunday 7 November at the Buero Vallejo Theater, with performances by Diverplay, Momo and Speluznantes.
Tickets will cost either 5 of 10 euros, depending on the time of day and all proceeds will go to those affected by the Cumbre Vieja volcano.
Volcanic lava bombs
You'll see from this clip one of the other dangers that comes from a situation like this: something that is known as a 'lava bomb'.
You do not want to be standing below where it lands!
Lava flow threat continues
Nearly 40 days since the eruption in La Palma and emergency teams are still watching the progress of the multiple lava flows that have been forming, particularly the one advancing through the south, which has been reactivated and is devouring land at six metres per hour.
At the moment, this flow, which the scientific committee calls number 3, is the most active, has flattened further buildings, and is moving across a plain that may affect the track used to reach Puerto Naos, a tourist town on the coast that was evacuated at the beginning of the eruption.
In total, since the volcanic eruption of Cumbre Vieja began, the lava has destroyed 2,183 buildings of different types, to which another 113 may be added soon, as they sit in an area classified as at risk.
More than 7,000 evacuated
As we get closer to the end of the sixth week since its eruption, activity at the Cumbre Vieja volcano continues, with one of its lava flows advancing to the south and destroying more buildings.
Already covering more than 905 hectares of land, the number of evacuees now exceeds 7,000.
Thermographic video of lava flow
The Canary Islands Volcanology Institute (Involcan) has shared this thermographic video of the Cumbre Vieja lava flow, noting that it reaches temperatures of 1,200 ºC.
Cumbre Vieja eruption sends lava streaming from collapsed cone
Following the collapse of part of the interior cone of the Cumbre Vieja volcano there has been a massive increase in the size of the lava lake and a swelling of the lava flows spilling down the side of the mountain.
Two of these, designated 1 and 4, are the largest and responsible for reconfiguring the island, contributing to the large delta being formed in the Atlantic.
These images captured by the Canary Islands Volcanology Institute a day before the partial interior cone collapse show the extent of the lava now flowing from Cumbre Vieja. Experts have not yet given any indication when the eruption may stop, but have warned that it is not likely to be any time soon.
Click on the image/title above to watch.
Cumbre Vieja cone collapse
Earlier this week, a part of the volcanic crater or cone collapsed allowing the lava to flow in a new direction. A collapse refers to this geological event when part of the crater from which lava is spewing breaks down and thus changes or increases the flow of lava.
After the cone collapsed, additional areas had to be evacuated as they now (more than a month since the eruption began) were in the path of lava.
Activity picks up in La Palma
Drone footage from ABC News captures a quite remarkable lava show from the Cumbre Vieja volcano in La Palma. If it wasn't so devastating to so many, it would be more enjoyable to watch.
Hello and welcome to our live blog for Friday 29 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.