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New drone videos show lava flow, coastline expansion from La Palma volcano

More than two weeks after its eruption, the Cumbre Vieja volcano on Spain’s La Palma island continues to spit out ash and lava. New DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone videos trace the path of the magma to the crater and show the extent of the coastline expansion triggered by red-hot lava pouring into the cool ocean waters.

These spectacular new videos come courtesy of SeaDron, an external drone service provider to the Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia – the ecology, oceanography, and aquaculture research arm of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).

As of October 4, the lava from the La Palma volcano had spread to more than 434 hectares, destroying over 1,040 buildings in the process.

And of the nearly 85,000 people who live on the island, more than 6,000 have been forced to evacuate.

Drone video traces lava flow to the mouth of volcano

Also read: Drone shows extent of massive oil spill damage on California beaches

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced an aid package of approximately $238 million to rebuild La Palma. He has visited the island thrice since the eruptions started on September 19. Sánchez said during a press conference:

We are facing a test of resistance because we don’t know when the volcano’s eruption will end. But citizens should know that when it does end, the government of Spain will be there to help with the enormous task of rebuilding La Palma and offer a horizon of prosperity.

Government officials, who continue to monitor the air quality around the island, say an increase in airborne sulfur dioxide has been noted after additional fissures opened up last week, but they hadn’t reached a level that would present a health threat to the residents.

Magma from Cumbre Vieja expands La Palma coastline

In the meantime, sea-bound lava spills have extended La Palma’s coastline by more than 20 hectares.

Scientists estimate that the volcano has so far emitted some 80 million cubic meters of molten rock, which is more than double the amount in the island’s last eruption in 1971.

Read more: Oh, snap: Watch a croc chomp on documentary crew’s DJI Mini 2 drone

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Avatar for Ishveena Singh Ishveena Singh

Ishveena Singh is a versatile journalist and writer with a passion for drones and location technologies. She has been named as one of the 50 Rising Stars of the geospatial industry for the year 2021 by Geospatial World magazine.


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