La Palma warning: Volcano landslide 'could kill millions of people' with megatsu

[astr0144]

La Palma warning: Volcano landslide 'could kill millions of people' with megatsunami.

A LA PALMA landslide could kill "millions of people in Europe" and along the US' eastern seaboard as millions of tonnes of rock would fall into the Atlantic Ocean, causing a megatsunami, researchers have warned.
La Palma Landslide: Expert discusses megatsunami in 2017


On 19 September, lava burst out of a crack in the Cumbre Vieja volcano on La Palma and flowed down the mountain and through villages. Jets of the red-hot liquid and ash were thrown into the air, the lava destroying everything in its path. Villages, schools and hundreds of homes were consumed before the lava reached the sea ten days later.

The volcano has now been erupting for six weeks, most recently spewing large amounts of ash over the island on Saturday.

A total of 2,400 hectares of land has so far been covered, according to data from the European Union's satellite monitoring service.

It is nothing unusual: La Palma has a long history of volcanic activity, having erupted eight times since the Spanish began keeping records in the 15th century — with more likely to have occurred before.

Added to the risk that comes with volcanic eruptions are landslides, something that is common on newly created islands like La Palma.







Here, the narrator noted: "A slide from this mountain could kill millions of people in Europe and along America's eastern seaboard."

In geological terms, La Palma is a relative baby, barely past its four millionth birthday.

It was created in the last stage of what geologists call the "rock cycle".

The eruptions have built steep-sided cones with surrounding layers of thick ash, great hills of residue seemingly ready to topple over.

Geologist Bill Mcguire of University College London (UCL) claims that gas pressures could build up in a future eruption and crack open the island along the fault line that runs along a ride on La Palma.




He told the documentary: "It's going to go in a future eruption, there's no doubt about that.

"The problem is eruptions occur sometimes every 20 years, sometimes every 200 years."

According to his research, the slide would reach a speed of more than 220 miles per hour.

He said: "It would be hurtling down the slope of the volcano; it would start to break up into smaller pieces into the ocean.

"By then it would already have displaced something like half a mile of water which would be towering above your head, and that would probably be the last thing you'd ever see."






The geologist claims it would also form an "Oceanside tsunami" that would be "at least as devastating as those that struck the Indian Ocean".

The vast amount of energy pumped into the ocean would create what one scientist has called a "megatsunami", with waves racing out in all directions.

Computer predictions suggest they could travel up to 4,000 miles towards the eastern seaboard of the US.





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While the waves would lose some of their power along the way, Mr McGuire explained: "They would travel all the way across the Atlantic Ocean to the east coast of North America.

"But the water itself won't move all the way across, the individual particles in the water would transmit the energy to one another."

The landslide energy would transfer from water particle to water particle across the ocean, and as the landslide's energy approaches the coast, it builds up into a massive wall of water.

US: The water would lose some of its energy by the time it reached the US — but not all


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Meanwhile, La Palma's most recent and ongoing eruption has seen more than 2,000 buildings destroyed and over 7,000 people evacuated from their homes.

Experts have said it is "extremely difficult" to suggest when the eruption might end.



This is because it is being caused by geological activity happening deep within the Earth's surface, far from the reach of technology currently available.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1514744/la-palma-latest-volcano-landslide-kill-millions-europe-megatsunami-spt

[ArMaP]

I don't think that will happen, as the volcano's slopes are not that inclined, so I don't see how they can have such a big and fast landslide. Also, around the island there's an area with low depth, so any landslide would not enter the water as violently as needed to create a tsunami.

But it makes an interesting story.

[astr0144]

I recall the suggestions about a possible land slide from one of the canary Islands, but I was not sure which one that was referred to as being the most of a concern.

but I am not sure in what way that it was suggested the land slide could occur....be it natual erosion or by anything like a earthquake or volcanoe.

I was not aware that there was any actual possible threat from a live volcanoes on any of the Canary Islands until this event came up in the news...seeing video clips of it it has surprised me how active it appears and for how long recently its been so active.

I recall now that there is a Volcano on Tenerife that is Mount Teide....but
The last summit eruption from Teide occurred about the year 850 AD

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teide

Also Lanzorote in the past had Volcanic activity...but no recent eruptions since 1700s.

I think I can see your point if what you say is fact... (which I have not as yet checked out and Im not sure how you know where the volcanoe is situated in ref to being positioned for any possible slide in terms of its height or terrain or slope towards the sea etc)

It may also still be one of the other Islands is still more of a threat if the prior suggestions of a possible land slide from the Canary islands is still a valid possibility.


on a quick further search... this link does suggest that the main threat is from Las Palma

The island of La Palma in the Canary Islands is at risk of undergoing a large landslide, which could cause a tsunami in the Atlantic Ocean. Volcanic islands and volcanoes on land frequently undergo large landslides/collapses

A number of such landslides have been identified in the Canary Islands, especially in the more active volcanoes El Hierro, La Palma and Tenerife[6] where about 14 such events are recorded through their deposits.[7] They mostly take the form of debris flows

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumbre_Vieja_tsunami_hazard#:~:text=The%20island%20of%20La%20Palma%20in%20the%20Canary,which%20have%20been%20documented%20in%20Hawaii%20for%20example.

I don't think that will happen, as the volcano's slopes are not that inclined, so I don't see how they can have such a big and fast landslide. Also, around the island there's an area with low depth, so any landslide would not enter the water as violently as needed to create a tsunami.

But it makes an interesting story.

[ArMaP]

After reading more about it (thanks to the link you posted), it looks like volcano created landslides that can create tsunamis are mostly a result of:
- how vertical the slopes are;
- how far from the the ocean the volcano is;
- most of all, how explosive the eruption is.

In case of Cumbre Vieja, the slopes are not that vertical near the bottom of the volcano, but near the top they are more vertical (naturally). The centre of the eruption, on the other hand, is not that close to the ocean, as the island has a relatively large area around the volcano (created by previous eruptions), so not much of landslide can reach the ocean at speed.
But, most of all, this eruption doesn't look to be an explosive eruption, as it has been spewing lava for more than a month. If it had accumulated all that lava and gases for a longer time before eruption then the eruption would be more violent, with higher probabilities of breaking the volcano.

Another thing to consider about tsunamis is what "shapes" them, as they are highly affected by the surrounding area, an enclosed area will create bigger tsunamis than an open area. A good example is the 1958 Lituya Bay earthquake and megatsunami.

Considering all of the above, I don't think Cumbre Vieja will create a megatsunami that will affect even the US.

PS: most small islands in the Atlantic ocean are volcanic, from Iceland down to Cape Verde.

[astr0144]

I think what you say / describe , if correct seems plausable / logical...

It maybe that the Las Palma Volcanoe has released some of its higher pressure over the last month... rather than it had becoming one larger release if the pressure had been building up severe before an intense eruption.

Lets hope you are right.. as I certainly do not like the thought of the UK and other countries becoming hit by a tsunami , and flooding the lower land areas.

That would be an utter nightmare. and a total disturbance of ones life..if one was to survive the initial flood.

Seeing some of the TV footages or photos (one that I posted for eg) of the Las Palma Volcanoe... I did appear quite a surprise and active...but its hard to say how it may compare to a volcanoe that is likely to be a severe concern or threat....Maybe the larger ones usually are likely to be more of a concern.







I dont think I have seen that many Volcanic activities overall from Countries within or around  Europe in my lifetime so far .

I dont think Mt Versuvius in Naples Italy  has erupted severe since 79 AD Pompeii...

Since 1750, seven of the eruptions of Vesuvius have had durations of more than 5 years, more than any other volcano except Etna. The two most recent eruptions of Vesuvius (1875–1906 and 1913–1944) lasted more than 30 years each

Maybe Mt Etna in Sicily has been the main one that has had quite alot of activity...but I dont think it has been severe in my lifetime. it has had activity quite a few times since year 2000 upto 2018..

Then there has been some in Iceland..

I think it was in 2010/ or 2011.... I travelled to the USA when one of the Iceland Volcanoes had been active and when I flew to the USA... the plane passed by Iceland and Greenland...

When I was due to return a week later.. The flight got cancelled as the Volcanoe had erupted and the winds were sending the Ash towards UK and Europe.

So I had to stay in Las Vegas for several days until it was safe to fly back home...

It was A Very unexpected situation.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_eruptions_of_Eyjafjallaj%C3%B6kull