El Hierro Tsunami Chance

The Canary Islands Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Response yesterday raised the state of alert for seismic and volcanic activity on the Island of El Hierro to red.

The CEO of the agency explained that the increased state of alert only applied to the municipality of La Restinga and the rest of the island remains of yellow alert.

La Restinga (547 inhabitants) is a Town on the southernmost coast of the island, and is closest to the underwater eruption which occurred yesterday, 5 kilometers from the coast and at an estimated depth of 1000mts.

The CEO also stressed that this was purely a precautionary measure and that there was no immediate threat of danger, however there is a strong likelihood of a further eruption over the next few days.

Experts from the National Geological Survey and the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) moved to the island have not ruled out the possibility that any such eruption, together with increased levels of magma rising to the surface could result in a new Volcano being created on the island.

The volcanic activity has attracted much interest from around the world - especially in the USA. It has long been speculated that any volcanic eruption of the Caldera de Taburiente Volcano on the neighbouring island of La Palma may cause a Tsunami of up to 300mts that would cross the Atlantic in a matter of hours. Geologists believe that this is exactly what happened when the El Hierro Volcano broke apart and fell into the Ocean thousands of years ago, creating the 'Val del Golfo' crescents shaped bay, and creating a Tsunami that was largely responsible for the creation of the Florida Everglades.

Chatter on the various social networks and forums critcises the United States Geological Survey (USGS) for their lack of communication surrounding the situation in the Canaries. Sources claim that this is so not to panic the public unnecessarily.

An interesting clip on youtube this morning shows a conversation between the poster and a Dr Bill Deagle, who discuss the effects of any eruption that may occur on El Hierro would have on the USA.

Read further news stories about the El Hierro Volcano by clicking the link HERE .