Scientists have set ten days to end eruption in La Palma

Lack of volcanic activity Since Monday night, verified both in observable patterns and in the measurements of surveillance systems, it corroborates the depletion of the La Palma volcano, but scientists have set a deadline of ten days no incidents to end the eruption.

for the absence of eruptive signs of the last two days in terms of lava emission, seismicity, tremor and terrain deformation, the missing indicator was added to corroborate the good evolution of the volcanic crisis: the emissions of sulfur dioxide in featherweight, which since last Tuesday from 2 pm recorded extremely low values ​​for the first time.

Just because the eruption is over doesn’t mean the emergency is over. Access to areas close to the washings and the return of the homeless to their homes requires a “period of safety”, he highlighted. maria jose blanco, spokesperson for the scientific committee of the Special Plan for Civil Protection and Emergency Care for Volcanic Risk in the Canary Islands (pevolca)

for your part, Miguel Angel Morcuende, a spokesman for Pevolca’s technical committee, indicated that residents could return to their homes “in the more or less near future, but it won’t be anytime soon. We are studying and monitoring the variables so that there are no problems when it comes to come back safely”, he indicated.

beware of gases

Morcuende asked that people who access the evacuated areas for domestic cleaning or other reasons to be especially careful with the presence of gases, especially carbon monoxide and dioxide, in places such as underground garages, caves, basements or basements.

On Tuesday, a person had to be treated for dizziness in Puerto Naos, where the Civil Guard blocked an underground parking lot, Morcuende exposed to show the gravity of this threat to people’s health.

It is important not to enter underground areas without being accompanied by Pevolca personnel with gas meters, in addition to opening windows and ventilating the buildings on the surface before accessing them, especially in the southern area of ​​the volcanic emergency, the spokesperson insisted.

Morcuende made it easy last measurements on the surface affected by the volcanic crisis and he trusted that they are the definitive data: runoff occupies 1,198 hectares, which rises to 1,221 if the volcanic cone is included; the two lava deltas total 48.02 hectares, of which 5.05 correspond to the northernmost delta; and the maximum width covered by the streams is 3,350 meters.

Low temperature

Of two thermal image From the area of ​​fluxes near the cone taken yesterday and Wednesday, Morcuende indicated that the surface temperature has dropped but remains above 400 degrees, meaning it will still take time for the ground to cool down.

María José Blanco explained that there is still a lava remnant circling through the volcanic tubes and at some specific point on the surface as well, although it is seen in areas further and further away from the cone.

“There is no evidence of lava flow from the west base of the main cone of volcanic leaks. In the lava delta of the Las Hoyas area, the flow that flowed over the previous lavas stopped. The fumarolic activity is punctual and sporadic, being concentrated in the area of ​​the eruptive centers”, details the scientific report of this Wednesday.

Scientific spokesman confirmed that the signal tremor, an indicator of magma movement under the surface, has completely disappeared to the usual level of “background noise”, a circumstance that has allowed in recent hours the detection of smaller magnitude earthquakes close to the surface that previously remained hidden.

THE air quality In populated areas, sulfur dioxide remains good at all seasons and in terms of particles of less than 10 microns (PM10) it is at a reasonably good to good level, except in Los Llanos de Aridane where it is at a reasonable level. unfavorable.

Source: PEVOLCA

Rights: Creative Commons.