![]() Lava has extended the island’s western shore by how many hectares?.What date did the volcano first erupt on La Palma?. ![]() Mount Etna’s spectacular volcanic eruptionĮrupting volcano becomes tourist attraction respiratory tract: breathing organs: nose, throat, larynx, trachea, bronchi and lungs.hydrochloric acid: strongly acidic solution of gas hydrogen chloride in water.infrastructure: basic facilities for operating a society, like building roads, power supplies.sporadically: occasionally, at irregular intervals.abating: lessening, easing off, tapering, letting up.plantations: farms, large-scale estates.casualties: affected, injured or killed by an event or situation.evacuations: emergency departure, urgent egress, removal to safety.archipelago: an extensive collection of islands.ha: abbreviation of hectares, a metric unit of a measure of land equal to 10,000 square metres.Copernicus: named for the Polish Renaissance astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543) who correctly theorised that Earth and other planets in our solar system move around the sun.While molten rock coming from the volcano was still running downhill like a river and tumbling over a cliff into the Atlantic, the uneven terrain* could make the lava overflow its current path. The direction of the lava flow remained a source of concern. The hydrochloric acid* and tiny particles of volcanic glass released into the air can cause skin, eye and respiratory tract* irritation. Trade winds typical of the region were helping dispel* the plumes of water vapour and toxic gases that result when lava with a temperature of over 1000 degrees meets the ocean, where the water is 22 degrees.īut authorities remained on alert as a change in wind direction could bring toxic plumes toward the shore and further inland. The island relies mainly on tourism and banana plantations and the government has pledged millions of euros (dollars) to help rebuild damaged infrastructure*. Picture: AFP Photo/Luismi Ortiz/Spanish Military Unit Media_camera Spanish Ground Forces clean up ash in a street of Las Manchas, following the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano, which to date has destroyed almost 60km of roads. Almost 60km of roads have also been ruined. The latest satellite imagery showed the molten rock has covered 754ha, most of it countryside and farm land. The ash plume is several kilometres high.Īirlines have sporadically* cancelled flights to the islands, including 56 flights over Saturday and Sunday, due to the ash. The volcano has produced a constant rumble and roar, with dozens of minor earthquakes most days, and has covered a wide area with volcanic ash. Some 7000 people have had to leave their homes, with hundreds more advised to stay home to avoid the possible inhalation* of toxic gases. “It’s the only one who can decide when this ends.” “We are at the mercy of the volcano,” Torres told reporters. Picture: AFP Photo/Luismi Ortiz/Spanish Military UnitĬanary Islands President Ángel Víctor Torres said scientists monitoring the eruption have seen no indications that the eruption is abating*. Lava easily flows down the sides of the volcano, giving it a rounded appearance like a Roman warrior's shield.Media_camera Pictured on October 16, a member of the Spanish Ground Forces walks across a street in Las Manchas that was completely buried in ash following the eruption of La Palma’s Cumbre Vieja volcano. The easy flowing, fluid nature of lava from Hawaiian volcanoes contributes to their shape and is why they are referred to as shield volcanoes. It tends hold more gas and break apart, possibly explosively, during eruptions. Helens, has a different composition that makes it much more viscous (less fluid). On the other hand, the magma of volcanoes located along the edges of tectonic plates, such as Mount St. Accordingly, it can flow relatively freely and release gas easily. ![]() ![]() Hawaiian magma contains comparatively little silica and is highly fluid. The reason for this lies in the chemical composition of the magma that feeds these volcanoes. Hawaiian eruptions are not nearly as explosive as those like Mount St. Why Don't Hawaiian Volcanoes Explode As Violently As Others?Īlthough powerful, Hawaiian volcanic eruptions are famous for being relatively benign and approachable, in comparison with volcanoes elsewhere.
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