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Where is it?La Palma , Canary Islands [ 28.62120467 , -17.89960469 ]
What ’s in the photo?A extremely destructive lava menses winding into the ocean
Between Sept. 19 and Dec. 13 of 2021, a newly formed vent appeared along the Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge in La Palma, unleashing giant lava flows that destroyed a small town.
Which satellite take away the photo?European Space Agency ’s Sentinel-2 delegation
When was it taken?Oct . 1 , 2021
This outstanding planet photo showsred - blistering lava winding into the ocean during a volcanic eruption on La Palmain the Canary Islands . The " river of fire " completely pass over out a modest townsfolk and unleashed plumes of toxic gases , which have chevy the Spanish island for years , local anesthetic and experts told Live Science .
During the first few days of the eruption, massive lava fountains shot out of Tajogaite, raining molten rock across the surrounding area.
On Sept. 19 , 2021 , after a swarm of more than 22,000 earthquakes in less than a hebdomad , a large crevice abruptly open up up above the town of Todoque on the westerly flank of Cumbre Vieja — a volcanic ridge that runs through the southern one-half of La Palma — shootinglava fountain hundreds of feet in the strain . The effusive outbreak , which was the first volcanic gush on the island since 1971 , persisted for 85 days until Dec. 13 , fit in to theGlobal Volcanism Programat the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History .
During this time , around 7.1 billion cubic feet ( 200 million three-dimensional meters ) of liquified rock poured out from a 660 - human foot - tall ( 200 meters ) cone - shaped vent , named Tajogaite , which grew around the fissure . The impassioned stone , which strive temperatures of up to 2,000 degree Fahrenheit ( 1,100 arcdegree Celsius ) , flowed down toward the coast and into the Atlantic Ocean , creating around 4.6 million straight feet ( 430,000 straight meters ) of new nation in the process .
The lava stream , which stretched up to 4 miles ( 6.4 klick ) long , wereclearly visible from spaceand ended up covering a total area of around over 2,500 acres ( 1,000 hectares ) , including Todoque , which was essentially wiped off the map . Around 3,000 buildings were damage or put down , along with bombastic swathes of surrounding banana farm . The estimate terms exceeded 700 million euros ( US$ 780 million ) , according to Spanish newspaperEl Pais .
Lava flows from Tajogaite cover an area of around 2,500 acres between Los Llanos de Aridane (pictured) and Puerto Naos.
One person was drink down by the bam : an aged world who is believe to have died from breathe in toxic volcanic gases while ignoring official advice and untimely returning to his home in the expulsion zone , according toAFP . Thousands of wild and agrarian creature are also believe to have been kill by the lava flow and result gases .
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The damage was " truly terrible,“Marie Edmonds , a volcanologist at the University of Cambridge , narrate Live Science at the recentSTARMUS Festival , an one-year skill fete that was arrest in the neighboring town of Puerto Naos from April 25 to April 29 . " Most shocking to me is the closeness of the vent to the communities , " she added when describing what it was like to jaw the surface area during the fete . " It must have been absolutely terrifying to see the eruption so close . "
Astronomers had to temporarily cease observations from telescopes at Roque de los Muchachos Observatory due to the volcanic plumes unleashed during the start of the eruption.
Local resident David , who used to live in Todoque and now resides in the neighboring townspeople of Los Llanos de Aridane , was one of 7,000 citizenry evacuate from their home during the eruption . The shopkeeper told Live Science that he ascertain the lava menstruation burn across the landscape painting like a " river of fire , " as his planetary house was destroy by the molten rock candy .
Toxic lava flows
The eruption was particularly remarkable due tohigh level of volcanic gases that were released into the air . This was the result of unusually high levels of sodium and atomic number 19 in the lava , which made it highly alkalic and increased the amount of gases , such as sulfur dioxide , that were breathe , Edmonds told Live Science .
Where lava reached the coastline — and dripped into the sea via jumbo lava falls — other gases , such as hydrogen chloride , were also unfreeze , she added .
Throughout the eruption , an exclusion zone was put in place around lava flows to protect the great unwashed from the gases . However , some locals disregard prescribed advice and snuck back into the domain to claver their properties .
Warning signs for volcanic gases still line the newly built road between Los Llanos de Aridane and Puerto Naos.
taxicab driver Ramón was one of those who went home after the blast had ceased , but before mass were given the light-green igniter to return . After just a few minutes , he began to get silly and started shin to breathe before eliminate out . He later awoke in the hospital and spend several days being treated for toxic gas inhalation .
" I cogitate that I was going to die , " Ramón told Live Science as he drove past Tajogaite . More than three years later , he still struggles with shortness of breath .
While the worst volcanic gases have now dissipate , the problem is not totally gone . expectant scoop of carbon dioxide still lie in lava tubes and other natural depressions in the area and could be harmful to multitude if they inadvertently take the air through them , Edmonds said . " It is unknown how long this chance will endure , " she add .
Locals also lay claim that they can still smell the eggy exhaust fumes of atomic number 16 dioxide whenever it rains .
Widespread disruption
The initial volatile phase of the irruption triggered large plume of ash tree and smoke into the atmosphere that could be distinctly view from Tenerife , around 90 Roman mile ( 145 km ) away , and caused several abbreviated airport closures throughout the Canary Islands .
The plumes also stimulate a temporary perturbation to the astronomical work being done by researchers at the various telescopes located at Las Palmas ' Roque de los Muchachos Observatory ( ORM ) , which is situate at an altitude of around 7,900 understructure ( 2,400 m ) .
" The disruption only lasted for around a week,“Alba Fernandez - Barral , an astronomer and master communications officer at the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory at ORM , secernate Live Science . " But for several scope , this was the first time they had stopped collecting data for decades . "
The atmospherical disturbance soon dissipated , but the continuing lava flows put a halt to most day - to - twenty-four hour period activities in the area surrounding Tajogaite . topical anaesthetic became so concerned that one Canarian politician evensuggested detonating turkey within the erupting coneto halt the flow of lava , although this idea was never seriously considered .
However , for local anaesthetic , the issues persisted long after the lava finally end flow .
The biggest problem was that the only road between Los Llanos de Aridane and Puerto Naos was destroy , meaning that the only way to get from one to the other was to beat back all the fashion around Cumbre Vieja , which means drive half of the island ’s coastline . Ramon told Live Science that the journey that once took 10 minutes could now take up to an hour and a half .
grammatical construction on a Modern road began almost as shortly as the eruption ceased , while some of the lava was still at several hundred degrees F. The route was amply constructed within two years and can be seen from blank winding through the lava flats , according toNASA ’s Earth Observatory .
Although the area is now fully accessible , tourists and some islanders have continued to deflect the area due to fright over the toxic gas . One local official at STARMUS , who did not want to be mention , told Live Science that hang the festival marked the first clock time they have been back to the area since the eruption .
The eruption of Tajogaite has left long - live on cicatrice — both on the landscape painting and within the local community . But there are sign that these wounds are beginning to heal .
" The loss of intact neighbourhoods pretend the society here very badly , " Edmonds say Live Science . " But I think that the people have resile back fantastically well . resiliency is clearly very strong here . "
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For many local , the recent STARMUS Festival marked something of a return to normality as tourists flocked to La Palma in important numbers for the first fourth dimension since early 2021 .
extravasation like this only occur on La Palma once every 50 years , Edmonds sum , so it should be a while before anything like this pass again .
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