Canary Islands eruption didn’t act as we expected—we can now ask why

Enlarge / The Cumbre Vieja volcano's eruption was complicated and not entirely what experts expected. (credit: Andreas Weibel)

Last fall’s Cumbre Vieja volcanic eruption in the Canary Islands was surprising for several reasons. Most predominantly, the eruption did not cause tsunamis to spread across the Atlantic Ocean, as some experts had predicted. But for volcanologists, the eruption displayed several other unexpected features that may help experts better forecast which volcanos are most at risk of calamitous eruptions, allowing for better long-term planning for La Palma and similar volcanic regions.

Researchers are still in the early phases of analyzing the wealth of data they collected during the nearly three-month-long eruption (85 days and eight hours, to be precise). But as highlighted in a recent perspective article, the eruption may answer a number of ongoing questions while raising several new ones—particularly about its surprise finale.

Rare learning opportunity

The 2021 Cumbre Vieja eruption lasted longer and produced more lava (over 200 million m³) than any other in La Palma’s recorded history. This long duration, combined with the relatively convenient location of the Canary Islands, provided a rare opportunity for researchers around the world to study the volcano’s progress in detail. The observations included geophysical and geochemical measurements—before, during, and after the eruption—as well as insights into the magma flow below ground and the lava paths above.