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The intensity of the lava from the ‘Cumbre Vieja’ volcano, which engulfed the Todoque neighborhood on Tuesday, continues to increase. The great thicknesses of the lava wall that advances towards the sea in La Palma, of up to 12 meters in some points, could cause in areas of steeper slope the formation of large fragments of lava that can detach from the front and reach greater distances.
In addition, these collapses of the lava front can give rise to small pyroplastic flows, as indicated in a note by the Canary Islands Volcanic Emergency Plan (Singer).
The scientific committee that advises the crisis cabinet specifies that the lava is advancing at a speed of 200 meters per hour and that the deformation of the soil in the area close to the eruption of the volcano amounts to 28 centimeters.
In a first provisional assessment of the material damage, Pevolca estimates that 185 buildings could have been affected, of which 63 would be homes, according to the cadastre.
Evacuation in Todoque
More than 1,000 people live in Todoque, in Los Llanos de Aridane, who were evicted. This is the same thing that happened on Monday night in Tacande, in El Paso, after the appearance of a new eruptive mouth.
In total, they have evacuated for the moment to 5,700 people, among which are included the 200 of Tacande carried out on Monday night. Only 132 remain in the authorized shelters.
Eruptions on La Palma and Cumbre Vieja lava tongue.
Currently the supply of irrigation water is conditioned to the fact that the Los Guirres water pipe is not affected and work is being done on the design of alternative pipes, authorizing irrigation actions in nearby areas but not yet affected by the eruption, adds Pevolca .
The scientific committee report indicates that the eruption continues to show the same fissure eruptive style, with a strombolian mechanism, in a fissure in a northwest-southeast direction.
The activity is currently concentrated in four main eruptive centers (mouths), the last of which opened yesterday at 7:56 p.m. (local time).
Gases at 3,000 meters
This new center shows effusive activity and emission of lava flows parallel to the previous flows and is very close to the other assets. The value given in previous estimates that the volcanic gases emitted can reach 3,000 meters in height is maintained. The current estimate of the rate of emission of sulfur dioxide (SO2) into the atmosphere by this eruptive process is between 8,000 and 10,600 tons per day.
Experts indicate that the volcanic tremor signal shows a tendency to decrease in amplitude at seismic stations, probably due to the concentration of strombolian activity in a smaller number of centers.
Likewise, it is found that the deformations have decreased their speed, showing a “relative stability” in the last twelve hours. The deformation measured using the INSAR technique shows an average cumulative maximum of 28 centimeters.
Regarding the meteorological conditions, in the last hours there has been a change in the direction of the flow in the lower-middle levels of the troposphere, around 3,000 meters, rotating from west to north / northeast, causing a displacement of the plume to the southwest of the emission source.
On the west slope affected by the eruption, a regime of breezes with intensities between 10 and 20 kilometers per hour is expected and in the upper levels there is a predominance of northeast winds. Acid rain is ruled out for the next 24 hours.
speed monitored
The scientific committee notes that the work on numerical modeling of the extent of lava flows and the monitoring of the rate of advance of the lava flows and their extent continues.
In addition, the daily monitoring of the sulfur dioxide emission from the eruptive foci using remote optical sensors mounted on a helicopter and the chemical composition of the plume using multi-gas sensors continues.
Ash and lava samples are taken regularly and field inspections and observations are carried out using drones.
A total of 743 security and emergency personnel they make up the device of the different administrations that works in shifts on the volcanic eruption on La Palma.
Lava advances in two tongues
Pevolca’s technical director, Miguel Ángel Morcuende, explained to journalists that lava advances from northeast to southwest in two major tonguesOne that advances “faster and more fluid” because it comes from the new eruptive mouth and overlaps the previous one, and another that is slower, located towards the south.
“It has a minimal movement and we do not know if it will reach a higher speed but for now, we doubt it,” he commented.
Morcuende has not wanted to make calculations on when the lava will reach the sea nor has he specified the number of affected homes since the emergency has not ended (according to the Copernicus satellite there are at least 165), and has assessed that the evacuations are being carried out successfully. and that there have been no forest fires that would have further complicated security tasks.
The Canary Islands keep the red traffic light
The General Directorate of Security and Emergencies of the Government of the Canary Islands maintains emergency level 2 (red traffic light) with activity mainly concentrated in four active mouths, the last of which opened this Tuesday at 7:56 p.m. (local time) with a broadcast lava flows similar to the previous ones.
In the latest update of the situation of the Special Plan for Civil Protection and Emergency Assistance due to Volcanic Risk of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands (PEVOLCA), the Canary Islands Government indicates that the eruption “continues to show the same fissural eruptive style, with a strombolian mechanism, in a fissure in a north-southwest direction “.
The new mouth, he explains, is “very close to the other active ones.” The approximate average speed of advance of the front of the lava flow is 200 m / h, “continuing its advance towards the sea”, with “maximum thicknesses of around 10-12 meters”.
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Reference-www.elespanol.com