La Palma volcano eruption rises to magnitude 3

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The La Palma volcano, which erupted 61 days ago in Old Summit, has exceeded the emission of 10 million cubic meters of pyroclasts, for which the scientific committee of the Canary Islands Volcanic Emergency Plan (Pevolca) has raised its explosivity index from 2 to 3, on a scale of 8.

The scale is calculated primarily by the amount of pyroclastic material emitted and in this case the level has risen as it has exceeded 10 million cubic meters, not because there have been changes neither in the eruptive mechanism nor in the explosiveness, stressed the spokesperson for the scientific committee, Carmen López, after the daily meeting of the Pevolca .

In this way, the volcano hasn’t changed, maintains the same fisular, strombolian eruptive mechanism with retromagmatic pulses and continues the same explosiveness.

In the last hours, the three stream fronts continue to be active, although the only area where lava is occupying new ground is between streams 4 and 7, where it has advanced 130 meters, especially affecting agricultural crop areas, explained the spokesman for the Pevolca technical committee, Rubén Fernández.

Airport inoperative

La Palma Airport has been inoperative throughout Saturday for ash accumulation from the volcano, AENA has reported, while the rest of the Canary Islands airports remain open without news.

The airline Binter It has already announced the temporary cancellation of its connections with La Palma at least until the 1:00 p.m. flight included, while it continues to assess the situation.

This airport closure coincides with a worsening of air quality in the southern area of Las Manchas, which has led to the closure of access by the Fuencaliente road, the Cabildo de La Palma has reported.

The approaches to the coast, where the air quality is good, will be carried out through the Navy boats.

The Cabildo has also reported that in the last hours there have been lava movements in the area of Todoque, channeling energy to the coast, while the northern sector remains stable.

Forty earthquakes

Since midnight, there have been forty earthquakes on La Palma, the largest of which was magnitude 4.6, recorded at 03.07 hours in the municipality of Villa de Mazo at a depth of 37 kilometers, and which has been felt with intensity IV.

Likewise, at 6:42 a.m. another of magnitude 4 and intensity IV was recorded, in Fuencaliente, about 10 kilometers deep.

In this sense, the latest report of the National Security Directorate (DSN) It states that the current level of seismicity continues to indicate that more felt earthquakes may occur, reaching intensities of V-IV, causing small landslides in sloping areas.

Likewise, and taking into account the information of the Singer, states that the main contribution of lava in the last hours is reflected mainly in the area that runs between flows 4 and 7, in such a way that if this behavior is maintained, an increase in surface area and affected buildings could occur when covering non-existent land. busy so far.

In addition, several emission centers are active with variable activity both in pyroclasts and in gases and lava, without ruling out the appearance of new emission centers around the main cone, within the exclusion zone.

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Air quality has undergone a positive evolution, maintaining good or reasonably good values in all the stations of the island.

Finally, they point out that the latest data on public and private damage caused by the volcano on La Palma is estimated at more than 900 million euros including intervention costs of the autonomous, island and local administrations.



Reference-www.elperiodico.com

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