El Hierro, Canary's - Red-Alert, Eruption Underway

[GCANE]

Special report: New magma intrusion into El Hierro volcano, Canary Islands, Spain

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Jón Frímann

Few days ago a new magma intrusion did start in El Hierro volcano, Canary Islands, Spain. But this means that the pressure is increasing inside El Hierro current magma still. The new magma is going the same path as before, and is forming a new sill north-west part of El Hierro volcano. It seems that this magma has not yet encountered the magma that is already inside El Hierro volcano. What happens when the new magma encounters the slightly older magma is a open question. But I am sure what happens is going to be interesting and is going to create a new eruption vent in my opinion.





The new magma intrusion in El Hierro. It is not yet in contact with the existing magma in El Hierro. It is hard to know exactly what happens when the new magma gets into contact with the magma that is already in El Hierro. Copyright of this picture belongs to Instituto Geográfico Nacional.

What is really interesting about this new magma is that this seems to be a new intrusion from a new conduct below El Hierro. This conduct does not appear in the earthquakes that started in July 2011 to today. There is a great risk that more new conducts are going to open up under El Hierro in this same manner. But this means that new magma can start to flow into El Hierro at new point under El Hierro. But that is always marked by a increase in earthquake activity where a new magma intrusion starts in El Hierro. This new magma intrusion into El Hierro appears to be rather small at the moment. But it is most likely going to grow over the next few weeks.





Current harmonic tremor levels in El Hierro volcano. Given by the current harmonic tremor level this eruption remains small. But the harmonic tremor is poorly to not being detected on nearby Canary Islands. The spike in the tremor plot is a earthquake. Copyright of this picture belongs to Instituto Geográfico Nacional.

It seems that IGN did rescale the tremor plot in the early beginning of the eruption. Making me draw false conclusions on what was going on in El Hierro. But it seems that the eruption is stable and has been from the beginning. But so far this is a small eruption, based on the tremor data. I say it is small because the harmonic tremor is not detected about ~60 km away from El Hierro. As a example in the eruption of Grímsfjall volcano, the harmonic tremor was detected clearly up to ~200 km away from the eruption. But the harmonic tremor signals how much magma is moving inside a volcano up to the surface. But not how explosive the eruption is. But explosions can and are detected on seismometers when a eruption goes explosive.


http://www.jonfr.com/volcano/

[GCANE]

Picking up a tremor at La Palma.

http://www.ign.es/ign/head/volcaSenales ... =25&tipo=2

[Nightwatch]

3.1 quake at El Hierro about an hour ago.

[GCANE]

October 27, 2011 – CANARY ISLANDS – It hasn’t yet reached the surface, but residents of the Canary Islands have taken to the internet to suggest names for a potential new islet. There are already more than 500 suggestions. Favorites include “The Discovery,” “Atlantis” and “The Best.” To the south of El Hierro, the earthquakes suggest persistent outbursts of lava, according to the ITER research institute on Tenerife. They show a pattern that is typical for flowing liquid, a so-called harmonic volcanic tremor. Presumably, there are constant small eruptions on the ocean floor. But the lava usually clogs the fissure quickly after such eruptions, forcing further magma to seek new channels — exactly what seems to be happening now. In recent days, however, some unsettling measurements have been recorded: The shaking has moved to the north. Because most of the earthquakes in that area have, up until now, occurred at depths of more than ten kilometers, an eruption is not expected in the area, the local authorities have said. The magma seems to be contained in the depths thus far. If the lava was being spewed in shallower water, there would be a danger of large steam explosions, says to Ramon Ortiz, the science advisor to the local government. But there are no fears of large eruptions on land according to Spain’s National Geographic Institute (IGN). The only risk is in the immediate vicinity of the eruption site, where there may be lava flows and rocks flung into the air. Recent volcanism in the Canary Islands is not well known,” says a report in the “Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences” journal by researchers at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) in Barcelona, led by Rosa Sobradelo. Nonetheless, advice on the potential dangers is being dispensed by the authorities on El Hierro as well as in the rest of the Canary Islands. The risk of large, explosive eruptions in the Canary Islands, however, “should not be neglected,” Sobradelo and her colleagues insist in their study. The frequency of their occurrence cannot currently be estimated. But even the most momentous outbursts of the past few centuries remained localized.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/eur ... 60,00.html

[GCANE]

Special report: New eruption vent (or vents) might have opened up in El Hierro volcano eruption

Posted on October 30, 2011 by Jón Frímann

The current tremor data now suggests that a new vent or vents have opened or are about to open up just outside north-west coast of El Hierro volcano. The depth where the main earthquakes have been taking place is about 100 to 300 meters (but might be more). So far the largest earthquakes to take place in this area was a ML3.9 with the depth of 22 km. What is important in this is not the fact that the earthquakes are at great depth. But also the fact that a more shallow might not take place. As that was not the case when the eruption started in El Hierro on 10 October, 2011. It is unlikely that there is going to be any shallow earthquake activity before a new eruption vents opens up. As that was not the case on the 10 October, 2011 from what I can remember.

http://www.jonfr.com/volcano/

[GCANE]

An earthquake measuring 3.9 on El Hierro triggered fears of a new eruption

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/sociedad ... oiop%C3%B1

[GCANE]

Data Update 01/11 – 10:37 UTC :

In our 08:19 update we mentioned a stronger harmonic tremor signal being recorded. We have to report that the harmonic tremor became even more stronger the last couple of hours (see below). A very strong harmonic tremor would increase the chance on an eruption considerably. The last earthquake IGN has listed was at 07:18 UTC. It is hard to believe that this list is complete at the moment.



http://earthquake-report.com/2011/09/25 ... to-yellow/

[GCANE]

Important Update 01/11 – 11:24 UTC

A new El Golfo Helicopter video has been published on you tube. The quality is poor but it looks like a ‘green stain’ eruption has started in the El Golfo bay. More video will have to be conclusive, but as it coincides with the stronger harmonic tremor, it can certainly not be excluded.

We remind our readers that also in the La Restinga / Las Calmas eruption, it started with a green stain only eruption, later followed by the Jacuzzi / Burbuja and thereafter by the grey muddy like stain.
Decisive information will soon come from IGN or CSIS we reckon.


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5AW3lbFO5M&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]


El Golfo Bay is north of El Hierro and south of La Palma.

The previous stain seen was on the south-shore of El Hierro, off of La Restinga.

[GCANE]

NOTE AVCAN 295 - EARTHQUAKE ACTIVITY-VOLCANIC - IRON ISLAND - 01 November 2011-11:30 h peninsular - Seismic activity remains high, with notable increase in seismicity in the Gulf region in terms of number of earthquakes and their magnitude, with a significant tremor signal, which has begun to increase significantly (by 50% in the last 6 hours). The magnitude of the earthquakes between 3.4 and 1.5. New earthquakes 55. Earthquakes senses 2. Depths between 16 and 24km (and each other and 27km). The day before yesterday 92. Yesterday 156. Now go 32. A total of 10,864 earthquakes are located in El Hierro by IGN from 9:00 am of July 19, 2011 (Enrique).

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Actualida ... 3883668446

[GCANE]

[Nightwatch]

still very active... 3.3 an hour ago

[GCANE]

Very important update 01/11 – 16:32 UTC :

The earlier video and the image proved to be NOT an eruption vent.

We were able to conclude this after very intensive contacts with our readers and people at the island.

The grey turbulent spot seems to be landmass (see picture below). We thank our many users in adding evidence to exclude the eruption has taken place.

[GCANE]

Harmonic tremor is further increasing.

Harmonic tremor is one of the most important pre-eruption signals.

It is is still not as strong as it was before the opening of the Las Calmas / La Restinga vent, but if it continuous to grow tomorrow it can be meaningful.

http://64.19.142.10/earthquake-report.c ... 2011-4.jpg

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEYFiSYFV3U&feature=channel_video_title[/youtube]

[Nightwatch]

4.0 quake half hour ago or so... things really heat up it seems. a few more 2.0-3.0 quakes in the last few hours also.

Eruption in El Golfo still not confirmed tho

[GCANE]

The 4.0 quake is very distinct on the tremor plot / spectrum.

Hearing rumors that a mass evac maybe imminent.

[GCANE]

The tremor signals are very unstable and giving explosions that appear to earthquakes but they are not, are increasingly strong explosions, indicating that the eruptive mouth in the South in the Restinga or in the Northern Gulf area should this activity and interaction with the water .. (Enrique)

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Actualida ... 3883668446

[GCANE]

In the last 2 hours, 2 or 3 modest explosions (or something similar) seem to be recorded at CHIE

http://twitter.com/#!/pabloj_gonzalez

[Nightwatch]

Another 4.4 has just hit the island

[GCANE]

Another 4.4 has just hit the island

New event: 18:10 UTC MbLg 4.4 about 23 km depth at about 5 km off North shore El Hierro

[GCANE]

Another 4.4 has just hit the island

New event: 18:10 UTC MbLg 4.4 about 23 km depth at about 5 km off North shore El Hierro

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/read/index ... rid=216856