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Canary Islands: Underwater Volcanic Eruptions Edge Closer To El Hierro Mainland

10/13/2011 Leave a comment

By Mark Dunphy – “Two new underwater volcanic eruptions have occurred off the south coast of El Hierro, the smallest and southernmost island in the Canary Islands.

Seismologists say two separate fissures have been identified less than 3.7 kilometres and 2.8 kilometres from La Restinga, a town on the southeast of the island.

Authorities have detected a sulphur odour in the area while dead fish have also been spotted floating on the surface of Las Calmas Sea.

The fresh eruptions occurred 48 hours after a subsea eruption, Spain’s first since an eruption on La Palma in 1971, occurred approximately 5 kilometres from La Restinga. The town’s 570 residents were subsequently evacuated as a precautionary measure in the event of volcanic activity moving closer to the island.

The eruptions take place amidst an unprecedented earthquake swarm in El Hierro. The number of earthquakes recorded since July 17, 2011 on El Hierro has now exceeded 10,300.

Hierro, a shield volcano, has had a single historic eruption from the Volcan de Lomo Negro vent in 1793. The eruption lasted approximately one month and produced lava flows.

The recent surge in the number and intensity of earthquakes prompted officials from Spain’s Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN) and The Canary Islands Government to raise the alert level for the Hierro volcano to ‘Yellow’ late last month. The alert remained in place on Thursday, but the estimated 11,000 residents of El Hierro were being reassured not to be alarmed.

The majority of the earthquake activity shifted from El Golfo in the island’s northwest to beneath the Las Calmas Sea in the south earlier this month. Surface deformations exceeding 35mm have also been recorded on the island in recent weeks.

A Red Alert was issued by local authorities for the town of La Restinga, where local residents were evacuated from on Tuesday evening. Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and cabinet colleagues later attended an emergency briefing on the developing situation.” Read more.

Categories: Earthquakes, Natural Disasters

North Korea Moves Fighter Jets and Ground-to-Air Missiles Closer to South Korean Border

10/13/2011 Leave a comment

The Chosun Ilbo – “North Korea has recently moved fighter jets near the Northern Limit Line, the de facto maritime border, and ground-to-air missiles close to Baeknyeong Island. There is speculation that it plans a minor provocation while South Korean president Lee Myung-bak visits the U.S. since any show of unity between the two allies tends to incense the North.

‘The North Korean military was seen moving mobile missile launchers at a ground-to-ship missile base near the NLL,’ a government source said. ‘There’s likelihood that the North will launch a military provocation’ while Lee is away.

The government is closely watching movements of North Korean artillery units.

An intelligence source said, ‘The North Korean Army is showing movements similar to those seen right before it shelled Yeonpyeong Island last year.’

Lee was quoted by a source as saying prior to his departure for Washington, ‘If the North launches a provocation during a Seoul-Washington summit, it will become an international issue rather than a domestic one.’ He instructed the military to ‘strongly respond’ if the North does.” Source.

Categories: Wars and Rumors of War