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MASSIVE VOLCANIC ERUPTION IN THE CANARY ISLANDS

YB WEB DESK. Dated: 9/22/2021 7:24:49 AM

T K NANDANAN A severe and massive volcano eruption on La Palma, which is home to around 85,000 people, in the Spanish Canary Islands has destroyed houses and forced about 5,500 residents to evacuate. What is a volcano? A volcano is an opening in the earth’s crust through which lava, volcanic ash, and gases escape. Volcanic eruptions are partly driven by pressure from dissolved gas, much as escaping gases force the cork out of a bottle of champagne. Beneath a volcano, liquid magma containing dissolved gases rises through cracks in the earth’s crust. Volcanic eruption in the Canary Islands has truly destroyed around 100 houses so far. In a bid to oversee rescue operations, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez flew down to La Palma on Sunday. It may be recalled that the lava from the Cumbre Vieja volcano has been pouring downhill since Sunday’s eruption devastating everything in its path. Converting the natural disaster into a lifetime opportunity for enthusiasts to witness and study, Spain’s tourism minister Reyes Maroto said that eruption was an opportunity to attract visitors to the island. She further said, “The island is open. If your hotel is affected, we will find you another one. We can make the most of this opportunity. For many tourists who want to enjoy what nature has brought to La Palma, they can do so in the coming weeks and months.” It is to be recalled that the last volcano eruption was around 50 years ago. The Canary Islands archipelago is in the Atlantic Ocean off north-west Africa. The Canary Islands are also known informally as the Canaries. They are 100 kms west of Morocco. They are the southernmost of the autonomous communities of Spain. The archipelago is economically and politically European and is part of the European Union. The volcano erupted Sunday after a weeklong build-up of seismic activity that was closely monitored by authorities. Huge red plumes topped with blackand- white smoke shot out along the Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge, which scientists had been monitoring following the accumulation of molten lava below the surface and days of small earthquakes. There are about 1,500 potentially active volcanoes worldwide, aside from the continuous belts of volcanoes on the ocean floor at spreading centres like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Many of those are located along the Pacific Rim in what is known as the Ring of Fire. Over geologic time, volcanic eruptions and related processes have directly or indirectly benefited mankind. Volcanic materials ultimately break down and weather to form some of the most fertile soils on the earth, cultivation of which has produced abundant food and fostered civilisations. After all, technology has been developed over the years so that it(technology) can be utilised very much as the canary in the coal mine for people living in and around the area of a volcanic eruption.