After a year that has seen concern about potential voicano eruptions in Iceland, Italy and Bali, volcanologists on the Canary Islands have been asked to work out whether the island of La Palma is facing an imminent eruption.
The experts have been asked to monitor activity on the island, which saw 400 tremors in 15 hours over the weekend, according to The Express.
Close to Tenerife, Cumbre Vieja (meaning “Old Summit”) previously erupted in 1949 and 1971. After the recent tremors - and a 3.5cm rise in the earth over the past year - scientists have been asked to monitor the volcano, amid fears that an eruption might lead to an earthquake and possible tsunami.
So now a special hydrogeochemical monitoring programme has been set up in a bid to improve volcanic monitoring of the volcano. Scientists will take samples of subterranean waters and PH levels, conductivity, temperature and dissolved gas activity three times a week at four locations in Cumbre Vieja.
Meanwhile, a team from the National Geographic Institute (IGN) are monitoring the site around the volcano 24 hours a day.
Recent seismic movements of a low magnitude raised concerns over the volcano’s emerging activity, ranging between 1.5 and 2.7 on the Richter scale and up to 17.4 miles underground. While experts have warned that an eruption holds the potential of creating a tidal wave, academics have been quick to point out a mega tsunami is unlikely.
Scientists have been rushed in to monitor the increasing earthquakes under a Canary Islands volcano amid fears it could erupt at any minute - sending a tidal wave hurtling towards Ireland.
Hundreds of tiny earthquakes near the slopes of Cumbre Vieja have rocked La Palma over the past few weeks and seismic expert are now keeping watch on the tourist hotpot 24 hours a day.
It is believed 400 mini earthquakes hit the island, which is popular with Irish tourists, in the space of 15 hours in recent days.
And volcanic activity has caused the ground to lift 3.5cm in the past year.
National Geographic Institute specialists are monitoring the earthquakes and a team of geologists are taking CO2 profiles to work out the exactly how likely the volcano is to blow.
Scientists are also researching the structure of the volcano in depth and sampling subterranean waters and PH levels as part of a hydrogeochemical monitoring programme, according to reports.
Experts from the University of California and University College London have said a big enough eruption could cause a massive landslide to enter the Atlantic Ocean, causing a 500mph tidal wave that could hit Ireland, Britain and even the US.
It could result in waves as high as 600m that would submerge the African coast within an hour, and the southern coastlines of Ireland and the British Isles in just three and a half hours.
Last week the National Geographic Institute (NGI) produced a startling map that showed the tremors mainly hit near the slopes of the active volcano Cumbre Vieja.
About 44 earthquakes that measured up to 2.1 magnitude were recorded on the popular holiday island in just 15 hours over one weekend early this month.
But experts believe hundreds more tremors in the Canary Islands were too small to be recorded, prompting them to warn the massive volcano could be set to cause devastation.
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