Volcanos: Cumbre Vieja

Volcanos: Cumbre Vieja

Wave power

This is a picture of Cumbre Vieja, a huge, active volcano on La Palma in the Canary Islands. Every few decades it erupts and scientists are worried because the walls of the volcano are getting weaker. Scientists fear that when it erupts, one side of the volcano could collapse and fall into the sea. If this happened, it would be a catastrophe. Why? Because it would cause a tsunami -an enormous wave- the biggest ever recorded in history.

How would it happen?

The volcano is by the sea, and the water next to the volcano is about six kilometres deep. If the volcano collapsed, 500 billion tonnes of rock would fall into the sea. This would create a huge tsunami about 100 metres high.

What would happen next?

The wave would travel away from the Canary Islands in all directions at about 800 km/h. The other

Canary Island would immediately be covered by water. In less than an hour a 90-metre wave would hit north-west Africa. The side of the volcano faces west, across the Atlantic Ocean, which would protect Europe a little. However, a 12-metre tsunami would still reach Lisbon within three hours. After five hours it would reach Britain. The wave could travel a kilometre inland, and devastate towns and villages. London would be flooded. 

How far would it travel?

The wave would have enough energy to travel right across the Atlantic Ocean. Eight hours after the eruption it would hit the east coast of America. It would still  be
about 30 metres high. Boston would be hit first, followed by New York, then the coast down to Miami. The wave would cause a lot of damage in the Caribbean and Brazil too. It would travel for several kilometres inland because the coast is very flat. It would destroy everything and kill thousands of people.

What can we do about it?

Nothing much, it seems. The scientists believe that it is not a question of it. The volcano will collapse at some time in the future, but it could be hundreds or thousands of years from now. Furthermore, if only part of the volcano collapsed into the sea, the tsunami would be much smaller. Scientists want to put better equipment on Cumbre Vieja, so that they can predict the volcano's eruptions in the future and give us an early warning of possible problems.

Del libro de texto Frontrunner 2.

- - - - - - - - - 

No sabía yo que teníamos un volcán tan peligroso en tierras españolas, pero el otro día, trabajando con mis alumnos de 2º ESO, nos encontramos con este texto (y fotografías similares). Les ha encantado y a mí me ha parecido tan curioso (al ignorante todo le llama la atención), que he decidido traerlo a Finis.  Otro día volveremos con algo sobre meteoritos, que también ha dado mucho juego en esta unidad dedicada a los disasters.