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El Hierro volcano (Canary Islands, Spain): earthquake in the El Golfo area, increasing steam and ash fountains and CO2 emissionsWednesday Nov 09, 2011 00:24 AM |
Age: 106 days
Explosions above the still submarine vents south of El Hierro are getting stronger and follow one another every 10 to 15 minutes, generating large clouds and sometimes jets of gas, steam and ash mixed with blocks rising to 30-35 meters. At night, red glow is visible above the jacuzzi. At 17:51 GMT, a 3.4 earthquake under the El Golfo area was felt on the island. It is still not clear whether a second eruptive vent is active in that area. Due to the much greater depth, it would be more difficult to spot on the surface. In the meantime, scientist from IGN and PEVOLCA (Civil Protection for Volcanic Risk) continue to measure increasing levels of carbon dioxide, another sign that magma is rising and getting closer to the sea surface. The possible presence of drifting layers of the deadly CO2 is a now serious risk for anyone at low altitude near the site of the eruption.
El Hierro volcano (Canary Islands, Spain): eruption expected to breach the surface soonTuesday Nov 08, 2011 16:30 PM |
Age: 106 days
 One of the explosions ejecting ash above the surface (image: Radio Televisión Canaria, http://www.rtvc.es/)  The area of the submarine vent on 7 Nov (image: INVOLCAN) Close-up photo and thermal image showing the water temperature increase at the fountain south of La Restinga on 7 Nov (image: INVOLCAN)  The area south of La Restinga 7 Nov (image: INVOLCAN and Civil Protection) When the next (so-called Surtseyan) phase of violent, sustained steam and ash explosions starts is yet unknown, but it seems very likely now and could even happen very soon. This type of phreatomagmatic activity is caused by the interaction of lava close to the sea surface and is the second phase of building a new island.
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Links / Sources: El Hierro volcano (Canary Islands, Spain): eruption moves towards ocean surfaceSunday Nov 06, 2011 21:00 PM |
Age: 108 days
 Close-up of one of the fountains (jacuzzi) south of La Restinga (image: INVOLCAN)  Discolored water around the vent of the eruption (image: INVOLCAN) First small steam explosions and water fountains have been observed. These geysir-like fountains reach 10-20 m height. It is likely that there will be more explosive activity, so-called phreatomagmatic explosions (caused by water mixing with lava), in the near future, and possibly the emergence of a new island. The activity is accompanied by strong tremor and single steam explosions can also be seen on the recordings. It cannot be predicted whether and when the eruption reaches an island-building stage, but chances are clearly becoming bigger each day, that new land appears out of the sea one of these days.
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El Hierro volcano (Canary Islands, Spain): strong volcanic tremor suggesting a new eruptionThursday Nov 03, 2011 13:13 PM |
Age: 112 days
 Increasing tremor signal (3 Nov 2011) at El Hierro
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Links / Sources: El Hierro volcano (Canary Islands, Spain): seismic activity beneath El Golfo intensifies, possibility of a new eruptionTuesday Nov 01, 2011 13:40 PM |
Age: 113 days
The seismic activity off the NW coast of El Hierro under the El Golfo area is intensifying and near the same levels immediately before the ongoing submarine eruption south of the island. Yesterday alone 153 quakes were measured with magnitudes of up to 3.9. Most quakes are still at safe 20 km depth and not related to the opening of eruptive vents on the sea floor. At the same time volcanic tremor (a low-frequency seismic wave component typical of magma movements) has been slightly increasing and the is now little doubt that magma is moving beneath the island. At this stage, it seems not unlikely if a new intrusion makes its way to the seafloor, starting a new submarine eruption form a second vent in the near future. A video on youtube was reported to show green water discoloration in the area and there are voices that an eruption could already have started. This seems unlikely and could not be confirmed. Such water discoloration is probably caused by drifting currents carrying mud coming from the ongoing submarine eruption south of the island.
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Links / Sources: El Hierro volcano (Canary Islands, Spain): deep earthquake swarms in the El Golfo areaSaturday Oct 29, 2011 17:25 PM |
Age: 116 days
While the submarine eruption south of El Hierro Island continues, a large number of mostly deep (around 20km) earthquakes of up to 3.3 magnitude have been occurring in the gulf off the NW coast of this island. Yesterday, IGN listed 63 earthquakes, 4 above or equal to 3, 27 in between 2 and 3 and 32 lower than 2. The strongest was a M3.3 quake at 14:16 UTC. Today, Saturday IGN has listed already 32 earthquake, the vast majority with epicenter in the El Golfo area. The tremor of 10:46 UTC this morning was the strongest at M 3.3. It is likely that this is related to magma movements at depth, but at present not a sign that another eruption or a major change in the eruption style could be in the making. However, the situation clearly needs to be followed carefully.
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Links / Sources: El Hierro volcano (Canary Islands, Spain): eruption update - new submarine crater and lava flows mappedSaturday Oct 29, 2011 16:51 PM |
Age: 116 days
 A true color, high-resolution RapidEye satellite image taken on 26 Oct featuring the gigantic stain visible on the surface of Las Calmas Sea, and even the vent area visible as the brown spot near the southern tip of the island. Image courtesy and copyright RapidEye.net  Digial elevation models presented by IEO showing the vent area before (a) the eruption and at present (b), with the new crater and even what is likely submarine lava flows. Images: Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO) In the meanwhile, the eruption continues and produces a large stain of discolored muddy water drifting around the southern and western coast of El Hierro.
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El Hierro volcano (Canary Islands, Spain): eruption updateSaturday Oct 15, 2011 17:23 PM |
Age: 130 days
The ongoing submarine eruption south of El Hierro, the first eruption in the Canaries in 40 years, continues from probably 2 vents at depths below 250 m under the water surface. It seems that the eruption is the submarine equivalent of a typical fissure eruption as often observed on basaltic shield volcanoes. Above the vents, large plumes of discolored water are visible and can be detected even on satellite images from space. A strong odour of sulfur can be detected on land. The port town of La Restinga has been evacuated and ships and aircraft are now banned from the area. Unless the eruption proceeds to shallower levels from about less than 50-60 m water depth, either by the accumulation of volcanic material above the vents, or by a upward propagation of the eruption fissure towards the coast, it is unlikely that the activity will become dangerous for the coastal areas. Should the eruption proceed to shallower levels, however, the risk of explosive eruptions increases drastically as the water pressure to contain explosions becomes too low.
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El Hierro volcano (Canary Islands, Spain): alert level raised to red and evacuationsTuesday Oct 11, 2011 16:38 PM |
Age: 134 days
BY: TOM PFEIFFER The volcanological observatory of the Canaries ahs raised the volcanic alert level to the maximum "Red" for the southernmost city on the island, La Restinga, and the government of the Canaries has announced to evacuate the population of La Restinga as a measure of precaution. In the meanwhile, there is little doubt that a submarine eruption is in progress 5 km off shore south of El Hierro. Due to the depth of the eruption at 600 m below the surface, there is not visible activity for now, but the intensity and location of volcanic tremor and the sighting of lots of dead fish above the spot are speaking a clear language.
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