Tajogaite or Tajogaite Volcano is a monogenetic volcano located in the municipality of El Paso on the island of La Palma, Canary Islands. Although its official name is "Tajogaite", before its officialization some authors have called it Cumbre Vieja, Jedey or Cabeza de Vaca, among other names. It originated in the eruption that began on September 19, 2021, the most recent on the island and in the national terrestrial geography. It stopped on December 13, 2021, after 85 days of activity, being the longest historical eruption recorded on the island and third in the archipelago.[4][5]
Tajogaite | |
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The monogenetic cone of Tajogaite in 2022. | |
Highest point | |
Elevation | 1,120 m (3,670 ft)[1] |
Coordinates | 28°36′46″N 17°51′58″W / 28.61278°N 17.86611°W |
Geography | |
Location | La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain |
Geology | |
Mountain type | Cinder cone[2] |
Last eruption | September 19 to December 13, 2021 [3] |
Name
editTajogaite is the name given to an area of the island of La Palma belonging to the municipality of El Paso and located south of Los Romanciaderos, close to Montaña Rajada. The toponym appears frequently from the 18th century on in local records linked to land ownership,[6] however its use dates back to times when the Benahoarites inhabited the island.[6][7]
Characteristics
editThe volcano is 1,120 metres (3,670 ft) above sea level, with the cone of the volcano being approximately 200 metres (660 ft) high.[8][9] The main crater is 172 metres (564 ft) long and 106 metres (348 ft) wide, and is one of seven vents.[10] The Tajogaite eruption was associated with a magma-gas decoupled system, which resulted in 7-16% of the total erupted volume being made up of tephra.[11]
Lava tubes
editThe eruption of Tajogaite created an extensive system of lava tubes.[12] The tubes, which were spotted in the midst of the 2021 eruption, were first explored in June 2022 after work crews rebuilding roads over the hardened lava. The system, which extends between 65 feet (20 m) to 200 feet (61 m) under the hardened lava flow, is made up of three distinct levels and may be the longest in Europe. Despite the tubes reaching temperatures of 140 °F (60 °C), Pseudomonadota and Bacteroidota bacteria have been found colonizing the walls of the tubes.[13]
References
edit- ^ "eldiario". Archived from the original on 2022-07-05. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
- ^ "La Palma". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
- ^ "La Palma: Eruptive History". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
- ^ Carracedo, Juan C.; Troll, Valentin R.; Day, James M. D.; Geiger, Harri; Aulinas, Meritxell; Soler, Vicente; Deegan, Frances M.; Perez‐Torrado, Francisco J.; Gisbert, Guillem; Gazel, Esteban; Rodriguez‐Gonzalez, Alejandro; Albert, Helena (May 2022). "The 2021 eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge on La Palma, Canary Islands". Geology Today. 38 (3): 94–107. doi:10.1111/gto.12388. ISSN 0266-6979. S2CID 246950800.
- ^ https://digital.csic.es/bitstream/10261/305910/1/Physical%20Characterization%20of%20Long-Lasting%20Hybrid%20Eruptions_Bonadonna_PV_Art2022.pdf
- ^ a b "guanchismos". Archived from the original on 2022-07-15. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
- ^ "intersindicalcanariasalud". Archived from the original on 2022-07-19. Retrieved 2022-07-20.
- ^ "Cuánto mide el cono del volcán de La Palma sobre el nivel del mar tras el fin de la erupción". 20 minutos (in Spanish). 26 December 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
- ^ "El volcán de La Palma tiene una altura de 1.120 metros sobre el nivel del mar". elDiario.es (in Spanish). 18 January 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
- ^ "Global Volcanism Program | Report on La Palma (Spain) — October 2021". volcano.si.edu. Smithsonian Institution. doi:10.5479/si.gvp.bgvn202110-383010. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
- ^ Bonadonna, Costanza; Pistolesi, Marco; Biass, Sébastien; Voloschina, Marija; Romero, Jorge; Coppola, Diego; Folch, Arnau; D’Auria, Luca; Martin‐Lorenzo, Alba; Dominguez, Lucia; Pastore, Camille; Reyes Hardy, Maria‐Paz; Rodríguez, Fátima (November 2022). "Physical Characterization of Long‐Lasting Hybrid Eruptions: The 2021 Tajogaite Eruption of Cumbre Vieja (La Palma, Canary Islands)". Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth. 127 (11). doi:10.1029/2022JB025302. hdl:11568/1160546. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
- ^ Wei-Haas, Maya (19 July 2023). "Taking the First Steps Into a Newly Formed Volcanic Underworld". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
- ^ Lira, Emma (1 May 2024). "Scientists found life in a volcano's 'lava tubes'—life on other planets could be next". National Geographic. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 23 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.