Here is one who does not intend to rest during the holidays. The Piton de la Fournaise, the volcano on Reunion Island, erupted on Wednesday night. At least three eruptive cracks opened on the southern flank of the volcano in the enclosure (the central caldera of the volcano), around 3:30 a.m. local time (12:30 a.m. in Paris). The eruption takes place in a totally uninhabited area and does not present a danger to the population.
There were warning signs: for several weeks, the Piton de la Fournaise had alternated phases of seismicity and calm. “This seismic crisis is accompanied by rapid deformation”, sign “That the magma is leaving the magmatic reservoir and is spreading towards the surface”, then underlined the volcanological observatory of the island. He specified that“An eruption is likely shortly in the next few minutes or hours”.
Second time of the year
This is the second time of the year that the Reunion volcano has erupted. The first eruption of the year was in April and lasted a month and a half. Located in the south-east of Reunion, the Piton de la Fournaise is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. It has erupted about 20 times over the past ten years.
The eruptions of the Reunion volcano are described as effusive or of the Hawaiian type. Most of the lava flows over the surface of the volcano, unlike explosive eruptions that spew clouds of ash high into the sky.