The ongoing eruption on La Palma has raised concerns over cancelled holidays and a potential tsunami. Here a volcanologist weighs the risks
– it has already bulldozed through hundreds of homes on the southwestern corner of the island, and it will continue to do so as it crawls its way towards the coast. The ash, too, is a problem: it’s not great to breathe in, especially if you have a pre-existing respiratory condition; it also creates visibility problems, burns out electric circuits, kills off car engines, pollutes waterways and smothers crops.
Volcanologists are concerned about the flanks of unstable volcanoes tumbling into the sea, which can and have triggered destructive tsunamis. A speculative paper from 2001, which formed the basis of an uncritical and sensationalist documentary, suggested the catastrophic collapse of the Cumbre Vieja volcano could cause a tsunami that would drown America’s eastern seaboard in waves up to 25 metres high.
– and there is a risk that if the ash drifts across to other islands, their airports may be forced to temporarily close too.About 800 million people live within 62 miles of an active volcano – one that, crudely put, has the potential to erupt at some point, in some fashion, in the present. Such living conditions may sound strange to people growing up in Britain, free of active volcanoes, but sometimes it is a choice.
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