Volcanologists from the National Geographic Institute of Spain (IGN) have shared photos and videos of the Cumbre Vieja volcano, officially in lethargy for almost a month.
It took a little over three months for the Cumbre Vieja volcano to go back to sleep: the eruption on the Spanish island of La Palma, which caused considerable damage, officially ended on December 25, after 85 days and 25 time. But the volcanologists of the National Geographic Institute of Spain (IGN) continue to carefully monitor the slightest activity of the volcano. On the heights, they raise the levels of toxic gases which still emanate from the bowels of the Cumbre Vieja. Temperatures are over 800 degrees Celsius a few centimeters below the mixture of volcanic deposits and ash. The lava will take a long time to cool.
Even though the volcano is officially extinct, volcanologists say it would be extremely dangerous to venture near the craters. “There are still harmful gases. Where we are now, no gas is detectable, but if we got a little closer we would start breathing sulfur dioxide. We should then wear protective masks,” warned seismologist Itahiza Dominguez.
Vista del crater más al sur del edificio volcánico con emisiones de vapor de agua y dióxido de zufre así como depósitos de carbonatos y azure.#IGNSpain#VolcandeLaPalma#LaPalma@CabLaPalma@AdmPcasGobcan@dsn@IGME1849@IGeociencias@IPNA_CSIC@AEMET_Canarias@ULL@ULPGCpic.twitter.com/q9LIWq3gKk
— IGN-CNIG (@IGNSpain) January 13, 2022
To read :A drone films the lava flows of the Cumbre Vieja volcano in La Palma
The Cumbre Vieja is in lethargy, its torrents of lava are black, congealed, hardened, and a layer of black sand – ash – has settled like a veil over the place. It will take years, even a decade to clean up, clear away, rebuild and reclaim this disfigured land. It was the longest eruption that the island had known: started on September 19, it was the first for 50 years, after those of the San Juan volcano in 1949 and Teneguia in 1971. Despite its duration and the impressive images of the molten lava flows, it did not cause any deaths, but caused enormous damage: more than 7,000 people were evacuated, among which approximately 600 still live in hotels, and nearly 3,000 buildings been destroyed.
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