The volcano on La Palma continues to spew lava and ash, but now the next dramatic scenario could threaten.
An expert speaks of another vent that could open.
La Palma - The volcano on the island of La Palma has been spitting lava and rocks since September 19th and an end is far from in sight, even in the opinion of an expert.
While the lava is currently looking for its usual route into the sea, another volcanic vent could soon open.
That would be a fiasco for the island.
Volcanic eruption on La Palma: Expert speaks of a gloomy scenario - Will the next vent open soon?
Although the volcano has been active for weeks, volcanologists don't expect the eruption to end.
This is evident, among other things, from the persistent violence of the volcanic activity.
As the state TV broadcaster RTVE said on Wednesday, more than 100 medium and light earthquakes and, above all, large amounts of sulfur dioxide are recorded on a few days.
As the volcanologist Ramón Ortíz had told the newspaper La Vanguardia, the terrain around the volcano had been pushed up around ten centimeters.
The reason is the upward pushing magma.
"It presses until the earth's crust breaks and lava flows out."
Although the magma and rock are sometimes thrown hundreds of meters into the air, they hardly cause any damage.
The reason is because the hot lava paves its way over the lava that has already emerged and has cooled down.
As the volcanologist Ramón Ortíz reports to the newspaper La Vanguardia, the lava flows are currently barely advancing towards the sea.
Rather, new lava is pushed onto old lava.
The layer is currently up to 30 meters high.
Volcanic eruption on La Palma: Lava flows pile up meters high - a dramatic scenario threatens
But the lava and the boulders could not only make their way to freedom via the current volcanic vent. As the volcanologist Vicente Soler from the Spanish research institute CSIC explains, in the best case scenario the volcanic eruption will continue. But the situation could worsen in the near future. A new volcanic vent could open at a greater distance from the previous volcano. As a result, new lava flows could flow on the other side of the island towards the sea and thus completely interrupt traffic connections between the north and the south of the island, for example. It's very unlikely, but not impossible, ”warned Soler.
The volcano has already caused great damage on La Palma.
Around 7,000 people have had to leave their homes since the outbreak began, and more than 2,100 buildings have been destroyed.
Many people have lost their livelihoods, and the banana plantations, which are important for the economy, have also suffered.