The Cumbre Vieja volcano within the Canary Islands off northwest Africa fell silent on Monday night, and scientists mentioned its 36 hours or so of negligible exercise would possibly sign the start of the top of the eruption.
Scientists will not rule out a resurgence of volcanic exercise, which beforehand abated solely to return with renewed drive, however say it’s unlikely.
“We can’t be 100% certain, because the volcano has been enjoying a couple of methods during the last weeks,” Valentin Troll, a geology knowledgeable with Sweden’s Uppsala College and co-author of a geology research of the Canary Islands, informed The Related Press.
“However many parameters have now subsided, and I feel the volcano is certainly in decline now,” he mentioned.
The Canary Islands authorities mentioned in a press release that “volcanic exercise has fallen to nearly nothing.”
The eruption, which started Sept. 19, is the longest on report on La Palma and has been a milestone for islanders, a lot of whom reside from farming and tourism. The volcanic Canary Islands are a well-liked European trip vacation spot resulting from their delicate local weather.
No accidents or deaths have been immediately linked to the eruption on La Palma, the place round 80,000 folks reside.
Whereas life has continued largely as regular on a lot of the island, a piece of its southwestern facet is severely broken.
The Spanish authorities has pledged monetary support to assist locals rebuild their lives.
Fiery molten rock flowing from Cumbre Vieja down towards the ocean has destroyed round 3,000 buildings. The fields of thick, black hardened lava have entombed banana plantations, ruined irrigation techniques and minimize roads.
The hardened lava covers round 1,200 hectares (about 3,000 acres), in response to knowledge collated by the Canary Islands volcanic emergency unit, PEVOLCAN.
The place the molten rock has poured into the Atlantic Ocean, rocky deltas have fashioned over 48 hectares (120 acres), PEVOLCAN mentioned.