Photo: DESIREE MARTIN / Getty Images
Ten days after erupting on La Palma, the lava from the Cumbre Vieja volcano reached the Atlantic this Tuesday . Since then, it has been estimated that 46 million cubic meters of lava have razed roads, houses and churches in their path until they reached the sea.
In almost two weeks, the Cumbre Vieja has already expelled more lava than the Teneguía in two months ago 50 years. On its way to the sea the magma took with it hundreds of houses in Todoque and La Laguna . Despite the emission of gases into the atmosphere due to the contact of the lava with the sea, experts indicate that this fact is not of much scientific relevance.
Magma is approximately 1, 000 degrees Celsius and the Atlantic water, for the season, should not pass the 20 degrees at present.
Contact between both liquids generates toxic gases since water contains chlorides, carbonates, sulfates, iodine and fluorine. When water and lava come into contact, the first thing that will be released will be steam, but the chemical reaction between the aforementioned compounds and high temperatures can cause them to combine with water vapor, causing irritation to the skin, eyes and respiratory tract of anyone in the vicinity.
Faced with this threat, the local authorities evacuated days before the population around Playa Nueva , where the lava and water were found.
So far, the lava has “consumed” 656 homes and has traveled more than 200 hectares for more than a week. More than 6, 000 people have been evacuated, of some 85, 000 in total they live on La Palma .
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