Tirelessly updating Avalon on the El Hierro eruption.

[Hervé]

Strongest so far (4.4 at 20:36):

For the day:

Frequencies spectrogram, the vertical streaks indicate “events” (tremors/EQs) whereas the horizontal ones reflect volcanic/magmatic activity:

From Wikipedia: A Harmonic tremor is a sustained release of seismic and/or infrasonic energy typically associated with the underground movement of magma and/or venting of volcanic gases from magma. Being a long-duration continuous signal from a temporally extended source, a volcanic tremor contrasts distinctly with transient sources of seismic radiation, such as tremors that are typically associated with earthquake and explosion.

How it's looking like now from Las Puntas de La Frontera:

(sorry, webcam off line for the moment)

Refresh your browser to get the latest traces

For the last 10 days, following the count of EQs as shown by the orange bars (≥ 2.0), it now shows a definite increase in seismic activity:

New cumulative graph starting October 10, 2011. The continuously changing scales keeps compressing the earlier graphs to the bottom and to the left!

Location of the EQs for the last 10 days:

Refresh your browser page to get the latest numbers and positions.

[Hervé]

Recent video of Polly:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=hBj51_XmM84

[Hervé]

Picture taken this morning over the area where the pyroclasts are steaming. Courtesy of the Canarian Government.

SPECIAL SEISMIC CRISIS - 11/04/2011 (13:22 pm)
PEVOLCA CONFIRMS THE EMERGENCE OF STEAMING PYROCLASTICS

It shows the alignment of the emission points of the eruption

The images taken by the scientists of National Geographic Institute (IGN) in a flyby of Emergency and Rescue Groups Canary Islands Government (GES), has shown the alignment of the emission points of the underwater eruption to be along the fracture.

DIARIOELHIERRO.ES, writing (04.11.2011. 13:22 pm)
The images taken by the scientists of National Geographic Institute (IGN) in a flyby of Emergency and Rescue Groups Canary Islands Government (GES), has shown the alignment of the emission points of the underwater eruption to be along the fracture.

In the images can be seen smoking pyroclastic materials and bubbling caused by released gases.

LOW SEISMICITY

In addition, IGN has confirmed to the direction of the Civil Protection Plan for Volcanic Risk (Pevolca) a considerable decrease of the seismicity during the day yesterday.

Thus, during the November 3, 2011, 39 earthquakes were detected, one of which was felt by the population. The largest of the movements was of magnitude 3.2 on the Richter scale at 18:10 pm (UTC) and was at a maximum intensity of III (EMS) in the town of Frontera. This event was located on the coast in the area of the Gulf, 15 kilometers deep.

The other localized earthquakes recorded in the same area are aligned NNW SSE from the sea to the center of the island forming two distinct groups, the first among the 14-15 km and the second between 20-23 km.

In total, since the day July 17, 2011 11 062 events have been recorded.

[Hervé]

From Earthquake-report.com:

Very Important Update 04/11 – 13:37 UTC :
Joke Volta reports from La Restinga :

– we just went from El Pinar to La Restinga

– a very sulfurous ‘rotten egg’ odor was noticed on parts of the road

– the viewpoint towards the Las Calmas sea is showing multiple Jacuzzi spots close to the island

– Joke took some pictures, but she is not sure whether it can be see on the pictures (she works with a cheap camera)

– she is now heading back to El Pinar and will send the images shortly

- she also told us that she believes the jacuzzi to be closer to La Restinga than last week.


Update 04/11 – 13:55 UTC :
Scientists of IGN who could overfly the area this morning are now convinced that they have lined up the different eruptive submarine vents. It looks more and more that Las Calmas sea eruptions are fissure like vents opening up at different places.

***************
Here are some of the pictures from the flyby released by the government:

In short, Polly is truly Polycephalic!

[Hervé]

The intensity of the harmonic tremor is now saturating the sensitivity range of the recording sensors despite the latter being now set to their lowest sensitivity settings:

[13th Warrior]

Just a little more information about the sea life and the lack of requests for better images:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=W8a3TUI89wI

[Hervé]

See post # 1311 ...

... don't really need a video lecture off a page [already referenced on this thread] anyone can read...

[Hervé]

Courtesy of the Canary Islands Government

SPECIAL SEISMIC CRISIS - 11/04/2011 (18:27 pm)

With the volcano slant

Sergio Gutierrez, Valverde (11.04.2011. 18:27 pm)
El Hierro suffers in silence the consequences of the volcano. Mother Nature has willed it so. Maybe it's a kind of punishment for past sins or, who knows, a gift in the form of volcanic whim we will benefit from in the future.

Meanwhile, residents of this small island in the middle of the Atlantic observed fearless, alert, undaunted, perplexed ... how the inexorable roam of the magma moves through the bowels of the island, from north to south, from one place to another, removing the foundations of a land distraught but undaunted and faithful in his firmest convictions.

Hierro is thus an example for the world. A serene island but his bowels boil, a peaceful land as its economy sinks, calm and restless while facing a future that presents utter uncertainty. On this island, all suffer. From toddlers to seniors, from ordinary citizens to politicians. Absolutely everyone. No one on the island can endure a situation like this, so puzzling and unpredictable and, obviously, implacable.

Yesterday, the president of the Cabildo de El Hierro, Alpidio Armas, complained about the hardship people on the island are suffering as individuals and companies, an unprecedented event on the island.

"La Restinga literally died," lamented President El Hierro. "Many of the measures are not appropriate for companies that are active and, therefore, zero sales," said Alpidio Armas.

In the Gulf the situation is also worrying. The intense seismic activity in recent days has heightened fears of a second productive underwater eruption in this locality of El Hierro, where the inhabitants have had no choice but to very reluctantly live with earthquakes beneath their feet and thinking if the next earthquake will be larger than the last.

What, then, in this situation? For now, nothing. Keep calm. The magma flows in the south of the island through new cracks detected in the area. Again, there is bubbling and steaming pyroclastic ejections to the surface of the Las Calmas sea, a sea that has turned stormy, absent and inert.

And north of the island, dropped as a result of the eruption of the south, earthquakes continue to occur and an eruption in this area of ​​the island can not be ruled out. Should it occur, the scientists said, the possible eruption (which for now is not imminent) would have similar characteristics as in the south, but at much greater depth due to the bathymetry of the ocean floor in that area.

In any case, for any precisions, this would need the gathering of other data which "at this time do not exist." But ... And two eruptions at the same time? The spokeswoman of the scientific committee of the Civil Protection Plan for Volcanic Risk (Pevolca), Carmen Lopez, said that historically in the Canaries, "no two eruptions have occurred simultaneously."

And as this happens, people should remain calm on Hierro, a serenity that was not lost ever since the seismic crisis began last July.

[vibrations]

Posted by Amzer Zo (here)


And as this happens, people should remain calm on Hierro, a serenity that was not lost ever since the seismic crisis began last July.

It' easy to say people should stay calm, but what do we know how the continuous tremor and low vibrations influence to health. Low vibrations can be very harmful and I have a lot of concerns for all this people living on the island. And never ending fear of eruption doesn't help at all.

[Hervé]

As it happens... the 4.4 which just occurred:

... at a depth of 21 kilometers, here:

[Hervé]

Posted by vibrations (here)

Posted by Amzer Zo (here)

And as this happens, people should remain calm on Hierro, a serenity that was not lost ever since the seismic crisis began last July.

It' easy to say people should stay calm, but what do we know how the continuous tremor and low vibrations influence to health. Low vibrations can be very harmful and I have a lot of concerns for all this people living on the island. And never ending fear of eruption doesn't help at all.

To answer this, here is the best comment I have run accross on a site of heavy duty, serious volcano followers, most of them with high academic credences:

Carl le Strange says:
November 4, 2011 at 11:06
[...]

In part [authorities] are being responsible due to one fact that people often forget. This type of volcano normally does not kill a lot of people.


Bob [their name for Polly here] will never kill anyone unless they are out on a boat when it starts to become explosive as it reaches the surface.


If there would be a new vent forming onland, most likely would be a Fimmvörduhals tourist volcano, but with a small chance of it becoming more like Eyjafjallajökull. And the Eyjafjallajökull option would then be the worst case scenario.


There is no risk of it becoming a mount Saint Helens eruptions, and I would also say that it will not becoming a Peleian eruption with large scale pyroclastic clouds.


Pyroclastic events are the most deadly volcanic eruptions followed by Mt Saint Helens eruptions, and with that risk removed any death tolls would be low to non-existant.


Pretty much, an eruption would need to happen directly under you for you to be killed.

I am more worried about people dying due to driving like idiots in mass fear.


Largest risk is gas-poisoning and ash-inhalation. So facemasks would probably be a good idea as minimum protection.


Otherwise, I think that the tent-camp is a good idea as a holding area before they can be shipped out. There is no risk at all of ash accumulating on the ships to such a degree that they sink as someone mentioned.


My problem with the authorities [is] more [with] that they seem to more make [it] into a political game, and the really disgusting thing is that the politicaly endorsed scientists do the same thing. They should be ashamed

As for vibration heath related issues... another thread you could perhaps start?

[13th Warrior]

Posted by Amzer Zo (here)
See post # 1311 ...

... don't really need a video lecture on a page anyone can read...

I didn't mean to step on your toes.

[Hervé]

From Earthquake-report.com:

Update 04/11 – 21:40 UTC :
We think that IGN has rescaled the harmonic tremor graph as it was saturated.

Update 04/11 – 21:45 UTC :
Pevolca has reported tonight that the eruptive vents have never been so close to the coast than today. The fissure has been opened on various locations. They have not specified distances however.

- Raymond has told us that he is OK and still waiting for the steaming / explosive phase of the volcano.

- the combination of strong earthquakes combined with mystery Jacuzzis and strong “rotten egg” odor is making people of La Restinga nervous. Luckily the earthquake was best felt in Frontera.

[Hervé]

Evolution of the plume as seen from space:

Today's NASA's Lance-modis Aqua picture:

On October 31:

[Hervé]

Someone at AVCan, by the name of Enrique, is connecting dots along fissures:

[Hervé]

Strongest so far (3.9 at 09:44):

For the day:

Frequencies spectrogram, the vertical streaks indicate “events” (tremors/EQs) whereas the horizontal ones reflect volcanic/magmatic activity:

From Wikipedia: A Harmonic tremor is a sustained release of seismic and/or infrasonic energy typically associated with the underground movement of magma and/or venting of volcanic gases from magma. Being a long-duration continuous signal from a temporally extended source, a volcanic tremor contrasts distinctly with transient sources of seismic radiation, such as tremors that are typically associated with earthquake and explosion.

How it's looking like now from Las Puntas de La Frontera:

Refresh your browser to get the latest traces

For the last 10 days, following the count of EQs as shown by the orange bars (≥ 2.0), it now shows a definite increase in seismic activity:

New cumulative graph starting October 10, 2011. The continuously changing scales keeps compressing the earlier graphs to the bottom and to the left!

Location of the EQs for the last 10 days:

[Hervé]

Canary Islands Government

Press Release

Closed the access road to Roquille tunnel and evacuated 11 houses at points of high risk.


11/04/2011 ... 23:57 - Ministry of Economy, Finance and Security

Preventive measures to be discussed in separate morning meetings of scientific working group and steering committee.

The direction of the Civil Protection Plan for Volcanic Risk (PEVOLCA) has decided this evening to close the access road toRoquille tunnels until 7.30 am as a preventive measure due to the 4.4 earthquake which took place at 20:36 hours, in Frontera, and the possibility one could surpass this value, according to warnings from the National Geographic Institute (IGN). The opening of the tunnel in the morning will be done with surveillance and security measures.

It has also carried out the evacuation the 11 houses at points that were more likely to be affected by rockfalls.

These preventive measures are to be discussed in separate morning meetings of the scientific committee and steering committee to assess maintenance or making other decisions that may be necessary depending on the situation.

Earthquake
The Emergency Coordination Center and Security (CECOES) 1-1-2, under the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Security of the Canary Islands, received between 20:37 and 21:28 tonight, 45 calls by residents of the three municipalities of El Hierro and related to the earthquake that occurred this evening on the coast of the island

Also in that same time slot, Canarias received 1-1-2 calls originating from municipalities in Arafo and Santiago del Teide, both located in the south of Tenerife, and Valle Gran Rey in La Gomera.

The most important incidents connected with this phenomenon have been associated with some rock detachments located in the heart of Sabina and in the area of ​​Guinea, without consequences.

In this respect, IGN has confirmed to the direction of PEVOLCA that there was an earthquake of magnitude 4.4, west of Frontera, with a depth of 21 km.

[randles]

Good Morning Avalon, and many thanks to Amzer Zo for all of the updates yesterday..
Yesterday I was visiting my daughter who lives on the North of the Island, and yesterday evening, we were one of the 1-1-2 callers due to tremors felt in the County of Arafo whilst eating..... Oh Dear !!

However,... here is the latest news reports here from My Islands.. Have a lovely day

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=2_aa2cjhMQw

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=OwMC6ia1EEw

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=QiurhPSlRmM

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=FWDzQWrvGB4

[randles]

Last night's earthquake caused scenes of tension at a rally of AHI-CC

DIARIOELHIERRO.ES, writing (05.11.2011. 09:30 am)

The earthquake of 4.4 degrees on Friday night struck the island of El Hierro, the strongest since July seismic crisis began. It surprised the Canary Coalition candidates. Ana Quintero Oramas and Narvay. In the town Valverde it caused scenes of fear and confusion among the audience, as he witnessed by Diario El Hierro.

At 20.36 pm on Friday, the head of Congress CC list for Santa Cruz de Tenerife and the Senate candidate for El Hierro were preparing to hold a meeting with the women of El Hierro Independent Group (AHI) in the cultural center monastery, accompanied by the former president of the Cabildo, Bethlehem Allende.

At that time, the building shook for a few seconds and fear spread among some of the attendees at the meeting, which rose from their chairs, panicked and alarmed, and all of the attendees started to leave the room.

After a few seconds of confusion and back and forth phone calls, the former president of the Cabildo de El Hierro managed to restore calm and resume the meeting.

Ana Oramas offered words of encouragement to the El Hierro population and called for unity of political forces that affected aid to arrive in a timely manner.

¤=[Post Update]=¤

9.05 am 3.5M felt by the population
9.44 am 3.9M felt by the population

[randles]

La Restinga cannot take it anymore

Sergio Gutierrez, Valverde (11.05.2011. 12:00 hours)

La Restinga is dying slowly. The catastrophe suffered by this fishing village is the worst in its history. So they have decided to mobilize to find urgent solutions to the problem suffered due to the earthquake-volcanic crisis.

The residents of La Restinga have decided to meet this evening in the town square for the sole purpose of automating efforts to overcome this crisis that is smothering them, little by little, and is destroying the economy of this place, until a few months it was a paradise for diving.

According to this newspaper said Fernando Gutierrez, sponsor of this meeting, "people are dying, this is an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, some people no longer have anything to eat," he told Diario EL HIERRO.

Gutiérrez complained also that "all we have been offered as a solution are the loans from ICO, but how a family or company who is in debt and borrowing, will be able to pay more," he asked.

For Fernando Gutierrez, who is also the the Patron the Fishermen's Association Our Lady of Los Reyes, "the problem is not just the fisheries sector, it is all of the town, where business input has been zero money "he said.

At 18:00 am this Saturday is convened the meeting in the town square