Worryingly: Yet another volcano has become active again

Volcanic activity manages to cause concern even though it is relatively common. One can never predict with certainty what the effects will be. La Cumbre volcano, located on the uninhabited island of Fernandina in the Galapagos tourist archipelago, has entered the eruption phase, the National Institute of Geophysics of Ecuador announced. In the night from Saturday to Sunday, "a thermal anomaly and a gas emission indicating the beginning of an eruptive process" were recorded in the area of the La Cumbre volcano, which reaches an altitude of 1,463 meters, the Ecuadorian institute stated. A cloud of gas, which did not contain much ash, was moved by the winds without affecting the populations on the other islands, such as Isabela. The mentioned institute specified that the video recordings broadcast on social networks confirmed that the eruption occurred in a circumferential fissure on the southern flank of the volcano. La Cumbre has entered the eruption phase four times in the last almost eight years. The most recent eruption of this volcano took place in January 2020 and lasted about nine hours. "It is not possible to accurately predict the duration of the eruption, nor if the lava will reach the seashore, but according to the data on the deformation of the volcano that we collected after the last eruptive period, it is likely that the current eruption will be more important than those observed in 2017 , 2018 and 2020", said the representatives of the same institute. They advised tourists to keep a safe distance if the lava flows reach the sea, as small explosions and releases of toxic gases could occur at those times. On Fernandina Island there is a reception center for hiking enthusiasts. With a number of eruptions between 28 and 30 that were recorded after 1800, La Cumbre has the highest recurrence rate of eruptions in this Ecuadorian tourist archipelago. With an area of 638 square kilometers, Fernandina Island, located at the western end of the Galapagos Archipelago, is home to an endemic species of yellow land iguana (Conolophus subcristatus), whose population has increased despite volcanic eruptions. The Galapagos Islands have been listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site for their unique flora and fauna. Named after the giant turtles that inhabit them, these islands are located at a distance of 1,000 kilometers from the coast of Ecuador.