Rising Volcanic Activity Prompts Evacuations On El Hierro, The Canary Islands

[phantom power]

El Hierro is also one of those volcanoes implicated in past mega-tsunamis. If you're into that sort of thing.

Fears are growing that the El Hierro volcano in The Canary Islands could soon erupt after seismic activity beneath the island increased dramatically during Tuesday and Wednesday.

Over 150 earthquakes were recorded on the smallest of the Canary Islands during Tuesday prompting officials to evacuate some local residents, shut El Hierro’s main tunnel, and close local schools.

At least 20 earthquakes, exceeding magnitude 3.0 on the Richter Scale, have been felt by local residents during the last 24 hours. The most recent earthquake, which measured 3.4 magnitude, was recorded just off the southern tip of the island at 07:04 am Wednesday.

The rise in seismic activity last night prompted the Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) to advise almost 50 residents of the municipality of La Frontera to leave their homes because of landslide fears.

http://www.irishweatheronline.com/news/earth-science/geology/rising-volcanic-activity-prompts-evacuations-on-el-hierro-the-canary-islands/39807.html/comment-page-1

[kestrel91316]

1. La Palma is the island in the Canaries that is the risk for causing a huge tsunami.

Volcanic activity on other Canary islands goes on without setting off La Palma. We can only hope they continue to.

My newlywed niece lives on the SE coast of FL. I really don't like to dwell on this sort of thing. It freaks me out.

[phantom power]

2. La Palma too

http://www.elhierro.travel/elhierro/index.php?accion=articulo&IdArticulo=31&IdSeccion=34

[Bigmack]

3. VERY interesting

Thanks for this link! Ms Bigmack

[dtexdem]

4. Is that the one that when it falls into the sea will wipe out the U.S. east coast?

Just wondering whether that was the one.

[AtheistCrusader]

5. The one showing the activity is 50 miles away from that.

For now. The entire chain is technically active. I don't see why a 9.0 on this island couldn't start the failure of that hill on La Palma.

[Lithos]

6. That is Cumbre Vieja

On La Palma 50 or so miles away.

And there is a lot of speculation whether or not collapse of that volcano would result in a megatsunami. Certainly a very worst case scenario where it fails all at once could result in a 160 ft. wave hitting the US eastern seaboard. Part of the speculation is that what is more likely would be a series of events which would result in much smaller pieces failing first. However, megastunami's are real and are going to happen - it is just very difficult in accurately predicting them which is what spurs the debate.


L-