LA PALMA UPDATE: Lava flows towards the sea without causing further damage

The Cumbre Vieja volcano yesterday suffered a partial collapse of the upper part of the main cone, modifying its shape and causing lava to continue flowing west over the previous flows, moving over already destroyed terrain, without causing any further damage on its way to the sea.

This has been reported this afternoon by the technical director of Pevolca, Miguel Ángel Morcuende, who stressed that the lava has continued to flow in the last 48 hours towards the west and is focused towards the sea, while stream 10, located south of the eruptive centre, is still stagnant about 150 metres from the solar power plant.

Morcuende also highlighted that seismic activity continues to be located at the same depths, between 10 and 15km, and over 20 km, and in the same areas as in recent days and weeks. In the last 24 hours the number of quakes with magnitudes greater than 3.5mbLg has increased, both at medium and deep depths, reaching a maximum magnitude of 4.9mbLg and an intensity of IV-V.

Likewise, the high amplitude values ​​of the tremor signal are maintained with intensification pulses. No significant surface seismicity is recorded and the level of seismicity continues to indicate that more felt earthquakes are possible. Yesterday 24 felt earthquakes were registered, in particular two greater than 4 and all of them more than 30km deep.

Morcuende also informed that the 10cm deformation of the land registered yesterday at station LP03, near Jedey in La Palma, has practically completely reversed, recovering to the levels of previous days. At present there are no new relevant deformations, and in the stations furthest from the eruption, a slight regional deflation persists due to deep activity.

Morcuende also showed that the emission of sulphur dioxide (SO2) continues at high values, reaching 37,350 tons yesterday. As for the diffuse emission of carbon dioxide (CO2), after ten days of a downward trend, it reached the value of 1,320 tons per day yesterday.

The number of people housed in hotels in La Palma is currently 454. Of these, 65 are in a hotel in Los Llanos de Aridane, and 389 are staying in one in Fuencaliente. All are being cared for by the Red Cross, in coordination with the municipal social services. In addition, there are 38 dependents in insular health centres.

Currently, several emission centres are still active in the volcano with intermittent activity, both of pyroclasts and lava, varying as the configuration of the eruptive zone changes, with the collapse of the cones and subsequent reconfiguration, cessation of activity of some of the emission points, increase in the explosiveness, etc. The appearance of new emission centres is not ruled out, always in the vicinity of the main cone and within the exclusion zone. In addition, the measured height of the eruptive column this morning was 3,400 meters (3.4km).

Over the next 48 hours wind will continue to blow from the north up to 5,500 metres high, so that the ash plume and sulphur dioxide (SO2) will be towards towards the southwest and west from the main eruption. This is favourable for the operation of Canarian airports, but the arrival of fine ash in El Hierro is not ruled out. Likewise, there is a low probability of weak rainfall on the northern and eastern slopes of La Palma over the next two days.