The volcanic eruption on La Palma destroys streets and buildings.
At the same time, a natural phenomenon occurs.
La Palma - For the first time in 50 years, a volcano erupted on the Canary Island of La Palma.
On September 19, the volcano Cumbre Vieja erupted, the lava of which has made its way to the coast of the island.
On their six-kilometer journey there, according to the authorities, they expanded to more than 470 hectares of land and destroyed more than 740 buildings and some roads.
6000 people had to be brought to safety.
A South Tyrolean described dramatic moments on the island.
Volcanic eruption on Pa Palma: Lava forms its own peninsula
In addition to the destruction, the lava flow also had astonishing consequences.
Because the lava has formed an approximately 20 hectare headland in the sea, which is already around five hundred meters wide.
The peninsula, consisting of cooled lava, should be measured more precisely with the help of drones, said the spokesman for the Canary Islands Volcanological Institute (Involcan), David Calvo, the
AFP
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The liquid rock is around 1000 degrees and hardens as soon as it flows into the water of the Atlantic, which is only 20 degrees warm.
So the coast is slowly pushed out into the sea.
This is also shown by a video from the Spanish research institute CSIC, which was published on Twitter.
La isla de La Palma crece.
Imagen de la plataforma de medio kilómetro de ancho ganada al mar por la colada, que genera nubes de gases en contacto con el agua.
Author: Manuel Nogales, investigador del @IPNA_CSIC pic.twitter.com/LsW7BybBXX
- CSIC (@CSIC) September 29, 2021
Lava continues to flow from the volcano.
No explosions or boiling waves were caused.
However, according to Involcan, columns of smoke continue to rise.
La Palma: Danger of toxic gases after a volcanic eruption
Initially, nothing was known about the health impairment of the residents of nearby towns due to toxic gases, which was initially feared.
These can arise when the lava and the salty sea water meet.
However, trade winds from the northeast drove the water vapor clouds and toxic gases apart, said Eugenio Fraile of the Spanish Oceanographic Institute.
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Lava from the volcano on the Canary Island of La Palma reached the sea on Wednesday.
© Saul Santos / AP / dpa
Nevertheless, the curfew, which was imposed on four nearby districts with around 300 residents, was initially continued as a precaution, as reported by the state TV broadcaster "RTVE".
The Spanish weather service AEMET had indicated that the wind direction could change.
After a volcanic eruption on La Palma: the situation is still unclear
It is still unclear how the situation will develop.
On the one hand, the lava flow could spread because of the unevenness of the island and damage other houses and agricultural areas.
However, volcanologists also emphasized that the outflow of the lava into the sea had eased the situation on the island somewhat, as the risk of the lava spreading on land had decreased, reported "RTVE".
(jsch)
List of rubric lists: © Saul Santos / AP / dpa