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La Palma is a volcanic ocean island. It is the steepest island in the world and currently the most volcanically active of the Canary Isles. Historical eruptions on the Cumbre Vieja occurred in 1470, 1585, 1646, 1677, 1712, 1949, and 1971.
Researchers at Benfield Hazard Research Center have identified a potential Atlantic Ocean tsunami threat from large-scale landslides at the Canary Islands. Surface and submarine investigations show a long-term history of mega-landslides at multiple locations in the Canary Island chain. Much of the current research focuses on the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the Canary Island of La Palma
Studies of surface faulting produced by a 1949 eruption suggest that a large mass of between 200 and 500 cubic kilometers could slip into the sea, generating an Atlantic Ocean tsunami with basin-wide impact. Models suggest that these waves could be 100 meters high at adjacent islands, 50-100 meters high on the African coast, 7-10 meters high at Spain and the UK and over 20 meters high on the coast of Florida.
Like all of the Canary Islands, La Palma originally formed as a seamount through submarine volcanic activity. La Palma is currently the most volcanically active of the Canary Islands and was formed three- to four-million years ago. Its basement lies almost 4,000 metres below sea level and reaches a height of 2426 metres. About a half-million years ago, the volcano, Taburiente, collapsed with a giant landslide, forming the Caldera de Taburiente. Historic eruptions (those since the Spanish occupation) have occurred seven times:
1470-1492 Montaña Quemada
1585 Tajuya near El Paso
1646 Volcán San Martin
1677 Volcán San Antonio
1712 El Charco
1949 Volcán San Juan, Duraznero, Hoyo Negro
1971 Volcán Teneguía
During the 1949 eruption from the Duraznero, San Juan, and Hoyo Negro vents on the Cumbre Vieja, an earthquake, with an epicentre near Jedy, occurred. This caused a 2.5 kilometre-long rift to open, with a width of about a metre and a depth of about two metres (Rubio Bonelli, 1950).
In a BBC Horizon program broadcast on October 12, 2000, two geologists (Day and McGuire) cited this rift as proof that half of the Cumbre Vieja had slipped towards the Atlantic Ocean (Day et al., 1999; Ward and Day, 2001). They suggested that this process was driven by the pressure caused by the rising magma heating water trapped within the structure of the island. They hypothesised that during a future eruption, the western flank of the Cumbre Vieja, with a mass of approximately 1.5 x1015 kg, could slide into the ocean. This could then potentially generate a giant wave which they termed a "megatsunami" around 650-900 m high in the region of the islands. The wave would radiate out across the Atlantic and inundate the eastern seaboard of North America including the American, the Caribbean and northern coasts of South America some six to eight hours later. They estimate that the tsunami will have waves possibly 1000 ft or more high causing massive devastation along the coastlines. Modeling suggests that the tsunami could inundate up to 25 km inland - depending upon topography. The basis for Ward and Day (1999) modeling the collapse of a much larger portion of the western flank than the currently visible surface fissures suggest is unstable was evidence from geological mapping by Day et al. 1999. In this paper they argue that a large part of the western flank has been constructed in the scar of a previous collapse and therefore sits upon unstable debris.
We know that the western flank of Cumbre Vieja will slide into the sea some time - could be tomorrow, could be hundreds of years away. But geologically speaking it's any second now.
So let's get it over and done with.
A controlled evacuation of tsunami vulnerable areas over weeks or months is infinitely preferable to the chaos and loss of life that would result from an unplanned event. A few year's notice should be given to allow communities and businesses to plan for the property destruction, and the rebuilding to follow.
Then we nuke the fault line and sit back and enjoy the show.
Originally posted by Common Good
Good posting...although I could have done without all of the OMG's.
Originally posted by operation mindcrime
reply to post by Common Good
You didn't get it, did you??
Maybe it is time for a mod to step in and remove this thread (and it's sister-thread)
believe me, i wouldn't mind, i was just trying to make a point. The people who got it are exactly the people i wanted to reach....
Sister thread
Peace
Originally posted by Paroxysm
Just saw this post, I will try to go delete my little rant....however I am serious about trying to do my part by seeking MOD assistance when it comes to QA.
Originally posted by operation mindcrime
About MOD assistance regarding certain members....good luck!!!
Remember this: Don't get mad, get even!!!
Hence these wonderful threads about Cumbre Vieja and deciphered cropcircles....
Peace
Originally posted by ThatDGgirl
Like my title says, it's 75*F here right now, and dropping! This is unheard of in Florida in July. It is actually cooler outside than it is inside my air conditioned house!!! I'm quite sure we're breaking records today!!