La Palma Eruption Could Make Mega-Tsunami Hit U.S.

LA PALMA, CANARY ISLANDS — As the La Palma volcano shows no sign of stopping its eruption, there is a possibility it could cause a mega-tsunami, according to a 2001 study in the Geophysical Research Letters journal. The study outlined how cracks below the surface of the volcano exacerbated by an eruption could cause between 150 to 500 cubic kilometers of rock to slide into the ocean at 100 meters per second. The New Zealand Herald outlines how the huge force that landslide generated could create massive waves, up to 900 meters high, that could eventually hit the coast of the Americas at heights of up to 25 meters, with a tsunami reaching Florida around nine hours after the initial collapse. Subsequent studies have played down the risk of this kind of disaster occuring for a number of reasons, informed by new models created after the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. It has been argued that any collapse of the ridge would not occur with the force described in the original study, with one explanation for that being that it is likely any collapse would happen in stages. Most do, however, agree that any collapse would prove devastating for the Canary Islands around La Palma at the very least. SOURCES: Gizmodo, Nature Communications, Al Jazeera, New Zealand Herald, El Pais, Eurekalert, Geophysical Research Letters journal