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article_detail
Date Published: 21/09/2021
ARCHIVED - Volcanic eruptions in Murcia: the region has a history going back millions of years
Residents of the region of Murcia aren’t likely to see lava flows on the Costa Cálida any time soon, but maybe in a few thousand years
As the Cumbre Vieja volcano erupts on the Canary island of La Palma, residents in Murcia may be wondering about the possibility of volcanic eruptions in this part of Spain too. After all, the region of Murcia lies along a fault line between two tectonic plates, just like the Canary Islands, and earthquakes are frequent in the area.
According to Francisco Guillén, geologist and researcher at the University of Murcia (UMU), the region of Murcia is “is in a very dynamic geological context… between two plates, the Eurasian and African, and many deep faults”. However, he pointed out that “there is no volcanic activity in our environment”.
Historically, though, the region has suffered from volcanic eruptions, with the last eruption occurring around a million and a half years ago, in the Campo de Cartagena. This and other volcanic activity in the last 230 million years have left their mark on Murcia, visible in the black rocks that are “ultra-potassic [and] very rare worldwide”, and which must be protected.
“All the islands we have in the Mar Menor are volcanic,” says Mr Guillén, but stresses that there is no risk of lava spewing from the ground in the Mar Menor any time soon. He doesn’t rule out that it may happen one day, though: “This does not mean that in the future, in thousands or millions of years, there couldn’t be an eruption.”
The flow of lava on La Palma has destroyed at least 100 homes and forced over 5,000 people to flee after the volcano erupted last Sunday. As the lava reaches the sea, experts worry that it may cause toxic gases to fill the air and release acid rain, endangering local inhabitants further.
Image: Archive
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