The red-hot eruption from the volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma was accompanied by flashes of lightning early on Saturday. A study published in 2016 by the journal Geophysical Research Letters found lightning can be produced during volcanic eruptions because the collision of ash particles creates an electrical charge
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At least four buildings on La Palma destroyed by volcano
Buildings near the crater on the Spanish island were engulfed by lava on Saturday morning
Buildings near the volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma were engulfed by rivers of lava early on Saturday, with the drama of the red-hot eruption intensified by the spectacle of flashes of lightning.
The magma destroyed at least four buildings in the village of Callejon de la Gata, witnesses said.
Continue reading...‘Volcanoes are life’: how the ocean is enriched by eruptions devastating on land
Lava is destroying much of La Palma but the last eruption in the Canaries appears to have ‘fertilised’ the surrounding seas
The eruption of the volcano on La Palma in the Canary Islands is a vivid reminder of the destructive power of nature but, as it lays waste all before it on land, for marine life it is likely to be a blessing.
When the lava reached the sea near the La Palma marine reserve on Tuesday night, every marine organism that was unable to swim out of danger was instantly killed. However, unlike on land, which lava renders lifeless for decades (and with forest not returning for more than a century), marine life returns quickly and in better shape, research shows.
Continue reading...Judge delays ruling on Spain’s extradition request for Puigdemont
Former Catalan separatist leader says he is ‘very happy’ after walking free from Sardinian court
Catalonia’s former separatist leader Carles Puigdemont has walked out of a Sardinian courthouse after a judge delayed a decision on Spain’s extradition request and said he was free to travel.
Puigdemont walked out with his lawyer, shook hands and embraced supporters, saying he was “very happy”, as he got in a van and was whisked away.
Continue reading...Lava spews from La Palma volcano after crater collapses – video
The Cumbre Vieja volcano on the Canary island of La Palma threw lava and rocks into the air as the eruption continued to gather momentum. Local media reported that the north side of the crater had collapsed late on Sunday, causing a faster flow of lava. Cadena Ser radio said the collapse had formed a new lava flow that was threatening several nearby towns
- Canary Islands volcano ‘much more aggressive’ as new fissures erupt
- ‘Volcanic eruptions are like cats’: the La Palma volcano explained
La Palma volcano: Lava spews towards sea after further eruptions – video
Further eruptions from Cumbre Vieja volcano on the Canary Island of La Palma have blown open two more fissures, sending molten rock spewing towards the sea.
Since Cumbre Vieja began erupting on 19 September, activity has "intensified" with earthquakes registered near the active volcano.
Residents have been ordered to stay indoors to avoid worsening air quality, or to evacuate from nearby towns
Continue reading...‘Volcanic eruptions are like cats’: the La Palma volcano explained
The ongoing eruption in the Canary Islands has raised concerns over cancelled holidays and a potential tsunami. Here a volcanologist weighs the risks
On 19 September, after 50 years of magmatic quiescence, the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the Spanish island of La Palma roared back to life. Ash speckled the sky, and molten rock cooking at 1,075C (1,967F) oozed from several fresh fissures and cascaded down the volcano’s western flanks in the form of hadean rivers, ploughing through houses and farms with insouciance. Fortunately, thanks to the work of local scientists and emergency services, thousands of people were evacuated ahead of time, and no deaths have yet been reported.
So, what happens next? What new threats will emerge from the volcano? How long will this go on for? And why would anyone want to live in the shadow of such a menacing volcano in the first place?
Continue reading...Canary Islands volcano ‘much more aggressive’ as new fissures erupt
More lava spews out on to La Palma island as scientists record eight earthquakes up to magnitude 3.5
The erupting volcano on Spain’s Canary Islands has blown open two more fissures, with authorities reporting “intense” activity in the area.
The new fissures, about 15 metres (50 feet) apart, sent streaks of fiery red and orange molten rock down toward the sea, parallel to an earlier flow that reached the Atlantic Ocean earlier this week.
Continue reading...Drone footage shows path of devastation from La Palma’s Cumbre Vieja volcano – video
Drone footage captures the devastation wrought by the Cumbre Vieja volcano, which has been ejecting ash, smoke and lava over the Canary island of La Palma for more than 10 days.
Since erupting on 19 September, the volcano has destroyed more than 800 buildings, as well as banana plantations, roads and other infrastructure.
About 6,000 people have been evacuated and are yet to return to their houses, a local government spokesperson said.
Continue reading...Canary Islands lava peninsula in the Atlantic doubles in size
Volcano on La Palma has been steadily spewing molten rock into the sea, enlarging the size of the island
Lava from the volcano in Spain’s Canary Islands that began cascading into the ocean two days ago has already covered an area bigger than 25 football pitches.
By late Thursday, the newly wrought peninsula on La Palma had doubled in size to 20 hectares (50 acres) since the morning, according to the Volcanic Institute of the Canaries (Involcan).
Continue reading...Shakira says two wild boars attacked her in Barcelona park
Singer held up her dirty and torn bag as evidence on Instagram: ‘They’ve destroyed everything’
Shakira said two wild boars attacked her in a Barcelona park and destroyed her bag.
In an Instagram story post, the singer held up her dirty and torn bag as evidence, which she said boars tried to carry off into the woods.
Continue reading...Steaming pyramid of rock emerges from water off La Palma as lava reaches the sea and cools – video
A steaming pyramid of black rock has emerged from the Atlantic waves off the coast of the Canary island of La Palma after lava from the volcanic eruption, which began 10 days ago, finally reached the sea late on Tuesday.
The eruption – which began on 19 September on the Cumbre Vieja ridge, one of the most active volcanic regions in the archipelago – has destroyed more than 650 properties, forced the evacuation of more than 6,000 people, and devastated La Palma’s banana plantations
Madrid leader takes issue with pope’s apology for ‘painful errors’ in Mexico
Spain brought Catholicism, civilisation and freedom to Americas, says Isabel Díaz Ayuso
The rightwing president of the Madrid region has taken issue with the pope’s recent apology for the church’s “very painful errors” in Mexico, and said Spanish conquistadors brought Catholicism, civilisation and freedom to Latin America.
Isabel Díaz Ayuso, touted as a possible future leader of Spain’s conservative People’s party, has a history of provocative pronouncements.
Continue reading...Lava continues to erupt from volcano on Spanish island of La Palma – video
Lava continued to erupt from a volcano in La Palma on Tuesday morning. The volcano, which has already caused widespread devastation, burying more than 500 buildings and displacing more than 6,000 people since last week, was calmer on Monday. But scientists have warned it is too early to say the eruption has finished. The plume of ash smoke that began on 19 September stopped in the early hours of Monday, only to resume two hours later
Continue reading...Homecoming show hails artistry and endurance of Sarajevo Haggadah
Vibrantly illustrated Sephardic Jewish book is believed to have been made in Spain in the 14th century
Seven centuries after it was created, a priceless Sephardic Jewish book whose wine-stained pages have somehow survived exile, the Inquisition, the rise and fall of an empire, two world wars and the Bosnian conflict, is making a homecoming. Of sorts.
The codex, known as the Sarajevo Haggadah after the city where it has been kept since at least 1894, is thought to have been made in north-east Spain in about 1350, possibly as a wedding present to mark the union of two prominent Jewish families.
Continue reading...Rivers of lava race down as La Palma volcano enters explosive phase – video
Rivers of lava raced down a volcano and exploded high into the air on the Spanish island of La Palma, in the Canary Islands. The airport was closed as an eruption intensified and entered its most explosive phase so far. Since it began erupting on 19 September, the Cumbre Vieja volcano has spewed out thousands of tons of lava, destroyed hundreds of houses and forced the evacuation of nearly 6,000 people
- La Palma residents warned of ‘evolution of volcanic emergency’
- More towns evacuated as volcanic eruptions on La Palma intensify
- Canary Islands ‘miracle home’ stands alone against volcano’s lava flow
La Palma residents warned of ‘evolution of volcanic emergency’
People evacuated from three towns are told they cannot return as volcano has entered new explosive phase
People evacuated from three more towns on the Spanish island of La Palma have been told they will not be able to return to their homes to retrieve their belongings because of the “evolution of the volcanic emergency”.
Rivers of lava raced down the volcano and exploded high into the air on Friday night and the airport was closed as an eruption intensified and entered its most explosive phase so far.
Continue reading...Canary Islands ‘miracle home’ stands alone against volcano’s lava flow
Eruption on La Palma has destroyed hundreds of homes, but one escaped the devastation all around
Like a cartoon house with its own raincloud, a Canary Islands home has survived rivers of lava flowing from the volcanic eruption on La Palma, with images showing the untouched residence and nearby landscape surrounded by charred black landscape.
Social media users called it the “miracle house”, the BBC reported. Its owners, a retired Danish couple who are not on the island, said they were “relieved it’s still standing”, according to Ada Monnikendam, who built the house.
Continue reading...Carles Puigdemont freed after arrest in Sardinia, says lawyer
Former Catalan leader free to travel but must attend extradition hearing on 4 October
The former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, who was detained in Sardinia on Thursday under an international arrest warrant issued by a Spanish court over his alleged role in the failed bid for regional independence, was released from custody on the Italian island late on Friday afternoon.
Puigdemont, now an MEP living in Belgium, could face extradition to Spain over his alleged involvement in the unilateral independence referendum and the subsequent unilateral declaration of independence in October 2017.
Continue reading...Lava fills swimming pool as La Palma eruption continues – video
Drone footage captures the moment boiling lava seeps into a swimming pool on the Canary island of La Palma, as volcanic eruptions continue on the Spanish island forcing thousands to be evacuated.
The island had been on high alert after more than 22,000 tremors were reported within a week in Cumbre Vieja, one of the most active volcanic regions in the archipelago
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