The Cumbre Vieja volcano, located in La Palma, Spain, has been erupting since September 19.
For close to a month now, the volcano has oozed treacherous lava into nearby communities. The result has been extensive damage that will be a challenge to repair in the future.
Cumbre Vieja Volcano Eruption
According to the New York Post, the Cumbre Vieja volcano has so far destroyed close to 800 buildings. There have also been 6,000 people forced to evacuate and leave their homes behind. Additionally, the lava is destroying farmland as it travels downhill. So far, 370 acres have been engulfed in the lava and destroyed areas used to grow the island’s main crops.
La Palma is currently overrun by streams of lava flowing into villages. So far, this magma that began flowing early Saturday morning has destroyed four buildings in Callejon de la Gata, a small village. For villagers peering up at the volcanic beast, it’s an eery sight. The lava seeps down in massive bright and fluorescent streams of red-orange onto people’s homes and properties.
To make matters more eery, Cumbre Vieja also has consistent gloomy strikes of lightning right above it. The menacing sight is common due to the collision of ash particles, therefore creating an electrical charge in the process.
For reference, La Palma is one of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic and has a population of only 83,000.
Also, the La Palma volcano will create new islands in the process of erupting. According to the Independent, a lava delta was created by the eruption. Those on the island spotted volcanic gas rising from the new island that is forming. Gran Canaria firefighters are calling it the “land reclaimed from the sea.”
This lava delta actually exceeds 89 acres in total size as well. The eruption is far from over, seeing as there has been more aggressive behavior coming from the volcano in the last few days.
Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano Ongoing Eruption
Meanwhile, the Kilauea volcano continues to erupt in Hawaii. As of now, there is still lava coming from two vents. One is on the floor of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater and the other is near the western wall.
According to NPS, sulfur dioxide emission rates remain very high. You can also view images and videos of the eruption on the NPS website. Hawaii has had some visitors eagerly traveling to the state to get a look at the eruption in progress.
The eruption at the summit is taking place in a closed-off area of the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. The most concerning hazard as of now is the possible volcanic gas, which can have far-reaching effects downwind.
The volcano began erupting on October 7
