Which volcano? This volcano: A bit of goings on in the Canary Islands (here too)
The BBC had a good article on the potential for disaster (August 10th, 2004)
Expert slams wave threat inertia
Bill McGuire of the Benfield Grieg Hazard Research Centre said no one was keeping a proper watch on the mountain.
If Cumbre Vieja volcano erupts, it may send a rock slab the size of a small island crashing into the sea, creating a huge tidal wave, or tsunami.
Walls of water 300 feet high would travel to the US at the speed of a jet.
Within three hours, the wave would swamp the east coast of Africa, within five hours it would reach southern England and within 12 it could hit America's east coast.
The rock is in the process of slipping into the sea, but the trigger that sends it into the Atlantic is likely to be an eruption of Cumbre Vieja. According to Professor McGuire, Cumbre Vieja could blow "any time".
Segue to now - the links above. The volcano has started to erupt. Now?
From the Beeb, September 19th:
Canary Islands: Lava from erupting volcano destroys homes
A volcano eruption on La Palma in the Spanish Canary Islands has destroyed houses and forced about 5,500 residents to evacuate.
Lava from the Cumbre Vieja volcano has been pouring downhill since Sunday's eruption, devastating everything in its path.
Local officials said about 100 houses have been destroyed so far.
From Poandpo, September 20th:
Spanish minister after Canary volcano eruption: That's great attraction
Spain’s tourism minister Reyes Maroto said the government wanted to reassure tourists already on La Palma or headed there that the island was still safe despite the eruption.
“The most important thing right now is reassuring tourists who have been affected, and also those who may be travelling to the island today or during the course of the week,” she told Canal Sur radio.
“We’re providing information so that tourists can travel to the island and witness something undoubtedly unprecedented for themselves. That information will let tourists know that the island is open and also whether their hotel has been affected so they can stay elsewhere and enjoy their holidays.
That is playing a little too loose for my tastes. Things can change in a heartbeat.
From MSN/USA Today, September 25th:
Spanish volcano eruption escalates, prompting evacuations and airport closure
Seven days after a volcano on La Palma erupted, lava flow and ash continue to spread shutting down the local airport and leaving hundreds without a home. As of Friday, almost 6,000 people have evacuated.
The government is working to locate emergency housing for the affected families as researchers are unsure when the ash and lava flow will stop.
And it's getting bigger - Associated Press, September 20th:
Volcanic ash cloud closes La Palma airport; new vent emerges
The airport on the Spanish island of La Palma shut down Saturday because of an ash cloud spewing out of a volcano that has been erupting for a week, and scientists said another volcanic vent opened up, exposing islanders to possible new dangers.
The intensity of the eruption that began Sept. 19 has increased in recent days, prompting the evacuation of three additional villages on the island, part of Spain’s Canary Islands archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean off northwest Africa. Almost 7,000 people have been forced to abandon their homes.
The recent volcanic eruption is the first since 1971 on La Palma, which has a population of 85,000.
Looks like this will be going on for a while. No sign of an underwater slide yet but...
UPDATE: Some good video:
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