Dramatic video shows volcano spewing 'tsunami of lava' as Atlantic island hit by 100 earthquakes

The Cumbre Vieja volcano released a "tsunami of lava" after a 4.5 magnitude earthquake.

REUTERS/Susana Vera

• The Cumbre Vieja volcano in La Palma, Canary Islands, has been erupting since September 19th.
• A new "tsunami of lava" has poured from the volcano, caused by earthquakes.
• So far, over 7000 people have fled their homes.

A spectacular "tsunami of lava" is pouring from the Cumbre Vieja volcano La Palma, the Canary Islands, which has forced another 300 people to evacuate their homes, say reports.

A 4.5 magnitude earthquake on October 14 caused a new river of lava to gush from the volcano.

The Cumbre Vieja volcano spews lava as it continues to erupt on the Canary Island of La Palma, as seen from Tajuya, Spain, October 17, 2021

REUTERS/Susana Vera

A Canary Islands Volcanology Institute spokesperson said the latest eruption had caused a "lava tsunami," which they caught on camera on Friday.

-INVOLCAN (@involcan) October 14, 2021

The video shows magma - which sits at temperatures around 1075 Celcius - with high viscosity rolling into La Palma, where over 7.36 square kilometers have been submerged by the lava, according to the EU Copernicus Emergency Management Service.

The 4.5 magnitude quake was the strongest to hit the island out of 100 that occurred in 24 hours, according to Reuters.

The eruption began on September 19, and more than 7000 people have had to abandon their homes. There have been no casualties.

Smoke plume from the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on 14 October 2021 in Los Llanos de Ariadne, La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain.

Europa Press via Getty Images

There is a concern, however, about the amount of sulfur dioxide emitted from the eruption.

Clouds of toxic smoke - which can cause breathing difficulties - have reached the Caribbean and neighboring European countries.

Scientists cannot predict when the eruption will end, volcanologist Robin George Andrews writes in The Times.

Read the original article on Business Insider

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/3BR0YWa