The technical director of Pevolca, Miguel Ángel Morcuende, highlighted that this Thursday “a new lava flow” has formed in the volcano of La Palma, initially very fluid, which advanced at great speed through the southernmost area, which is being monitored especially and permanently.
This lava flow, they add from Pevolca, runs through areas “never trodden before” and has exceeded “the photovoltaic plant and the Las Manchas cemetery, threatening urbanized areas”, although all of them are in the exclusion and evacuated zones and, therefore, not inhabited or with the presence of people, except for the members of the emergency device. Subsequently, this new lava flow has been slowing down “as it becomes more viscous”, due to the material it drags, "circulating at about 25 meters per hour".
According to the spokesperson for the Scientific Committee, Carmen López, an increase in the emission rate has been confirmed, "with an increase in the branching of lava channels and overflows that affect the same area as on Wednesday."
Regarding rainfall, the Government of the Canary Islands has declared an alert situation and the population is recommended to take extreme precautions to avoid traffic accidents, due to the sliding of the road surface. The volcanic situation may allow “the formation of mudflows in areas of strong runoff”, when the materials emitted during the eruption mix with water and form flows that move downhill. The rains can remobilize the materials deposited in the areas affected by the eruption and slide the mudflows through the natural slope of the terrain.
In this sense, the PVOLCA advises “avoiding road travel” and, if necessary, driving with caution and not crossing areas that may be flooded.
The Steering Committee also analyzed the gas values detected in the Las Manchas and La Bombilla area, which remain “high” and limit access to the area for security reasons. In this sense, a meeting was held this Tuesday at the Advanced Command Post (PMA) with representatives of the residents of Las Manchas and the Technical Directorate of PEVOLCA, together with the Military Emergency Unit, the Civil Guard and the National Police, in which the mayors of Los Llanos de Aridane and El Paso were present. At said meeting, “access control for ash cleaning and gas measurements that are continuously carried out in this exclusion zone” was explained.
Air quality and seismicity
Regarding air quality, the values recorded for sulfur dioxide have been “good or reasonably good” at all stations, except in El Paso and Los Llanos de Aridane, which reached the level of “unfavorable”. Regarding PM10 particles, the daily limit value was exceeded on Wednesday in Los Llanos de Aridane and the index became regular in La Grama and Los Llanos.
As a precautionary measure, it is recommended that risk groups and sensitive populations in the Los Llanos de Aridane, Tazacorte, El Paso, Tijarafe and Puntagorda area “reduce energetic and/or prolonged activities outdoors and wear an FFP2 mask”. The general population can carry out their outdoor activities normally, but it is important to “monitor the appearance of symptoms such as cough, throat irritation, shortness of breath, excessive fatigue or palpitations.”
Regarding seismicity, the energy released by seismic events has decreased in recent days, “maintaining low and stable intermediate seismicity and a decrease in deep seismicity”. There is also stability in the deformations, while the emission of sulfur dioxide associated with the volcanic plume continues to be high, within the general downward trend.
