El Hierro Volcano (Canary Islands) : October 10 : PEVOLCA latest report

Last update: October 10, 2011 at 9:49 pm by By Armand Vervaeck and James Daniell

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Parador de El Hierro, gives a good idea on the coastline – Click on the picture to watch a video

Update 10/10 – 21:31 UTC : Fishing vessels have been ordered not to throw their nets in the expected eruption area.  As far as now, no gases or bubbles have been detected in the area which is supposed to be the eruption area. This does not necessarily mean that there is no eruption, but that the depth of the magma vent is at least several hundred meters below sea level.
In the meantime, the harmonic tremors are unchanged  (see link below).
Emergencia El Hierro has not published a new report tonight.

Update 10/10 – 17:01 UTC :  Ramon Ortiz, a vulcanologist specialized in Canary Island volcanoes and currently advising the authorities, says in ElMundo that  today’s eruption will be probably at a depth greater than  600 meter below sea level and about  5 km to the southeast of El Hierro.
Ortiz also said that the the  Harmonic Tremors which started this morning showed that the eruption had started.  They were reported in this site only hours after they started (see link and description below).
The latest eruption on the Canary Islands took place on La Palma Island in 1971 (see the video below from this eruption).

IMPORTANT UPDATE 14:31 UTC : PEVOLCA has just published a Press Statement that it is still unsure that an eruption is going on  in the Las Calmas Sea. Scientists of IGN which make part of the PEVOLCA committee have stated that IGN has recorded the emission of volcanic gases at the south side of the island. The committee stresses that the gases are NOT dangerous for the population.
Additionally IGN reported that the emission might also be an eruptive phase but at the present time there is no 100% proof for it. A certainty however, IGN reported, is that “purely volcanic harmonic tremors” have started.

to read more, go to:    http://earthquake-report.com/2011/09/25/el-hierro-canary-islands-spain-volcanic-risk-alert-increased-to-yellow/