Is there any chance at all that the doomsday scenarios of a gigantic tidal wave coming across the Atlantic Ocean could be about to happen?
Haven’t heard of this one?
There are hypotheses by geologists that a megatsunami could be created during an eruption of the “Cumbre Vieja” on the volcanic ocean island of La Palma in the Canary Islands.
Not familiar with the Canary Islands? They are a group of islands off the northwest coast of Africa.
Back in 1949, when the Cumbre Vieja volcano erupted in the Canary Islands, it creased a 2.5 long fissure on its eastern side that caused the western flank of the volcano to slip 2 metres downwards. The thought is that another eruption of this volcano could trigger the western flank of the volano to fail and collapse into the ocean. If it falls into the ocean all at once, it is estimated that this will generate a megatsunami that will race across the Atlantic Ocean in about 6 hours. It is estimated that the wave could start at around 1,000 metres tall (3,300 ft) and would be still around 50 metres (164 ft) tall when it hits the east coast of North and South America.
There is great debate if this could/would ever happen, but if it does, millions of lives would be lost.
Just yesterday there were 2 new volcanic eruptions off the south coast of the Canary Island of El Hierro island (just south of La Palma island). Nearly 600 people were evacuated. (source) El Hierro is the smallest island in the Canary Islands. Get this – the island of El Hierro has experienced over 10,000 earthquakes since July 19 of this year – a signal that magma is rising toward the Earth’s surface.
Want to learn more? Google canary islands tidal wave
Kavius
This is one of the reasons I liked living in Calgary. A great big rock wall between me an the ocean.
Of course, you were sitting on top of the Yellowstone Volcano
Lisa
I guess there always has to be some threat of massive destruction to keep us humble 😉
colin
i live in southern md would the tsunami slow down enough to not affect me?
The Geologist
The section of the Cumbre Vieja that ruptured in 1949 is about 2.5 kilometres long that is 2500 metres long it varies in displacement along its length from 0 that is ZERO metres at its northern end to about 2 metres at the Duraznero vent at the southern end. The MAXIMUM displacement is about 4 metres in the vicinity of the Hoyo Negro vent which is located about 1000 metres north of the Duraznero vent. The Cumbre Vieja for comparison is about 25 kilometres – that is 25000 metres long. The fracture has PRECISELY the same dimensions in 2013 as it did in 1949 – I know because I happene to have a copy of Bonelli Rubio’s field notes, which conveniently those who proclaim that the flank is about to collapse don’t quote. Since 1949 several people have walked, measured and prodded the Cumbre Vieja, very few actually bother to walk the length of the fracture – some even claim it lies on the eastern side of the summit ridge. It does not, it lies on the ridge summit in the vicinity of Hoyo Negro and Duraznero vents and then changes its track to the NNW heading downslope towards the San Juan vents which also opened in 1949. In 1999 a paper was published (Day et al) which has been mis-read by several sources. Nowhere in that paper do the authors claim that the Cumbre Vieja will fail – only that there is the potential for it to fail IFF certain factors are met. In 2001 Ward and Day published a paper in which they showed that the flank has the potential to fail and if it did it MAY generate a tsunami – whether it would be a “Big Splash” or the so called “mega-tsunami” of the media is unknown. Again the paper has been misrepresented – “May” has become “WILL” and a lot of hype generated in many quarters some of which has been done by people who really should know better. Also in 1999 another paper was published which showed that the authors had carried out a series of topographical surveys which related various survey stations to each other. NO MOVEMENT has been reported in that paper or in subsequent observations using various methods including Electronic Distance Measurement (EDM) Optical Theodolite, or GPS using Differential GPS and DUAL FREQUENCY DIFFERENTIAL GPS. During one recent 2011 survey we were informed by a female that she had been up to the Cumbre Vieja a few days before and she calculated that the readings she was taking that day showed it had moved by over 5 metres in less than a week!! When we showed her that the system we were using showed no movement she was adamant that her readings were right – she was using a handheld GPS receiver which is great for navigation but for the accuracy needed was out by about 100 metres. Incidentally whilst we were talking to her her position kept changing by several metres.