The volcano enters its sixth week with strong activity and seismicity

The La Palma volcano enters its sixth week in eruption with new lava fronts and an activity that far from ceasing intensifies, which increases intermediate and deep seismicity, while improving air quality in Los Llanos de Aridane, El Paso and Tazacorte.

The latest report from the Department of National Security (DSN), issued at 08:00 peninsular time this Monday, shows that after the reconfiguration of the volcanic cone there has been a new lava flow in a southerly direction, running parallel to one of the first tongues.

Meanwhile, the rest of the lava flows "maintain the lava load with a flow input that runs through lava tubes that feed both the original lava flow (delta) and two of those located to the north, one, the one near the Todoque mountain and the other, in La Laguna," the report adds.

Regarding the data of surface affected by the lava, yesterday Sunday increased to reach 852.27 hectares, as a result of the "lava spill of the south and the gaps that have been filled in the intermediate zones", although the maximum width between the extreme points of the lava flows remains at 2,900 meters.

The DSN also points out that there has been an increase in intermediate and deep seismicity, "with an increase in magnitudes in the intermediate zone", which has led to 84 earthquakes being recorded in La Palma this morning, three of them, the largest, of magnitude 3.5, two in Fuencaliente and a third in Villa de Mazo.

None has surpassed the earthquake of magnitude 4.9 and intensity IV that took place last Saturday 23 at 38 kilometers deep, for now the most important of those recorded since the volcano erupted.

Regarding air quality, the thermal inversion above 1,500 meters is favoring the dispersion of gases in Los Llanos de Aridane, El Paso and Tazacorte and the concentration of fine particles has also improved in recent hours after the end of the episode of sub-Saharan air.

Regarding the plume of ash and sulfur (SO2), the DSN reports that its current southwest disposition makes the conditions for the operability of the Canary airports favorable at this time.