2021 Cumbre Vieja volcanic eruption location Las Manchas
Eruption
The eruption began at 14:13 local time (14:13 UTC) on 19 September 2021 in a forested area called "Cabeza de Vaca", of Montaña Rajada, in the Las Manchas section of the municipality of El Paso.Around 300 people from the local area were evacuated shortly after the eruption, and then a further 700 people (including 500 tourists) were evacuated from the Los Llanos de Aridane coastal region in case the lava flowed to the sea and cut off the main access roads. The total number of evacuees is now estimated to be 5,000  to 10,000. The alert level was raised to its highest level—red—due to the eruption.The eruption took place from at least five main vents.On the fourth day, according to the Volcanological Institute of the Canary Islands, the volcano entered a more explosive phase, expelling less volcanic gas.For its first two months, the eruption was assigned a rating on the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of VEI 2 (on a scale of 8). On 20 November 2021, the scientific committee of the Canary Islands Volcanic Emergency Plan (Pevolca) raised the rating from VEI 2 to VEI 3. Though in modern eruptions where it can be measured, eruption column height is often seen as a more accurate measure, in this case the change was based on the 10 million cubic metres of ejected material measure alone. The VEI rating was increased despite no change in the eruptive mechanism or explosiveness.
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