The island of La Palma in the Canaries was hit by an "earthquake swarm," with officials warning magma is building up under the Cumbre Vieja volcanic chain.
Experts said the volcanic chain has been growing in height due to magma buildup
Thousands of small earthquakes have hit the Canary island of La Palma in recent days while growing stronger and moving closer to the surface, according to the regional government.
The Spanish island is the home of the Teneguia volcano in the Cumbre Vieja national park.
A team of volcanologists warned that an eruption could be possible in the coming days, according to a report in the El Pais daily on Thursday.
The team noted that magma was seeping into the volcanic chain, raising its peak by some 6 centimeters (2.4 inches).
"What's most likely is that the magma has found a way toward the surface and it is very likely that it will end up reaching it," said Luca D'Auria, the head of the Volcano Monitoring Department at the Canary Islands Volcano Institute (Involcan).
Locals told to prepare emergency bags
The "earthquake swarm" is also expected to escalate, according to officials. However, volcanic experts said there were no clear signs of an imminent eruption.
"There still has not been a large earthquake that opens a path for the magma," said Maria Jose Blanco, the head of the National Geographic Institute (IGN) in the Canary Islands.
The government has already raised the eruption alert level and instructed people in the area to prepare light luggage with their mobile phones, important documents and any necessary medication in case of evacuation.
The island of La Palma has around 83,000 residents and is not a popular tourist destination. Its Teneguia volcano last erupted in 1971, the last surface eruption to happen on Spanish soil.
Ten years ago, a series of similar but less powerful tremors hit the nearby island of El Hierro, culminating with an underwater volcanic eruption.
dj/wd (Reuters, dpa, AFP)
Threat of volcanic eruption puts Spanish island on alert
MADRID (AP) — A series of small earthquakes in Spain’s Canary Islands has put authorities on alert for a possible volcanic eruption, with one official saying Thursday there is “intense seismic activity” in the area off northwest Africa.
Authorities have detected more than 4,200 temblors in what scientists are calling an “earthquake swarm” around La Palma island since last Saturday. An earthquake swarm is a cluster of quakes in one area during a short period and can indicate an approaching eruption.
But officials said they had no indication an eruption was imminent, and a scientific committee monitoring the activity said that the number of tremors and their magnitude had fallen Thursday.
Even so, the Scientific Committee for the Special Civil Protection Plan and Emergency Response for Volcanic Risks warned there could be a rapid, renewed surge in quakes and kept the public warning level on yellow, according to private Spanish news agency Europa Press.
Volcano warnings are announced in accordance with the level of risk, rising through green, yellow, orange and red.
The committee reported that ground depressions up to 10 centimeters (4 inches) deep have formed — an occurrence often attributed to magma movements.
Before a volcano erupts, there is a gradual increase in seismic activity that can build up over a prolonged period.
The Canary Islands Volcanology Institute said that by Thursday 11 million cubic meters (388 million cubic feet) of molten rock had been pushed into Cumbre Vieja, a dormant volcanic ridge on La Palma where the last eruption was in 1971. The strongest quake so far was a magnitude 3.4 one, according to the institute.
La Palma has a population of around 85,000 people.
The institute has is telling staff on the island to monitor any changes, including testing the water in wells.
The Canary Islands are a volcanic archipelago made up of eight islands. At their nearest point to Africa, they are 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Morocco.
The Associated Press
MADRID (AP) — A series of small earthquakes in Spain’s Canary Islands has put authorities on alert for a possible volcanic eruption, with one official saying Thursday there is “intense seismic activity” in the area off northwest Africa.
Authorities have detected more than 4,200 temblors in what scientists are calling an “earthquake swarm” around La Palma island since last Saturday. An earthquake swarm is a cluster of quakes in one area during a short period and can indicate an approaching eruption.
But officials said they had no indication an eruption was imminent, and a scientific committee monitoring the activity said that the number of tremors and their magnitude had fallen Thursday.
Even so, the Scientific Committee for the Special Civil Protection Plan and Emergency Response for Volcanic Risks warned there could be a rapid, renewed surge in quakes and kept the public warning level on yellow, according to private Spanish news agency Europa Press.
Volcano warnings are announced in accordance with the level of risk, rising through green, yellow, orange and red.
The committee reported that ground depressions up to 10 centimeters (4 inches) deep have formed — an occurrence often attributed to magma movements.
Before a volcano erupts, there is a gradual increase in seismic activity that can build up over a prolonged period.
The Canary Islands Volcanology Institute said that by Thursday 11 million cubic meters (388 million cubic feet) of molten rock had been pushed into Cumbre Vieja, a dormant volcanic ridge on La Palma where the last eruption was in 1971. The strongest quake so far was a magnitude 3.4 one, according to the institute.
La Palma has a population of around 85,000 people.
The institute has is telling staff on the island to monitor any changes, including testing the water in wells.
The Canary Islands are a volcanic archipelago made up of eight islands. At their nearest point to Africa, they are 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Morocco.
The Associated Press
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