Hey Guys! A series of earthquakes and trembles that have struck in the Atlantic Ocean in the past week suggest that an underwater volcano is about to blow. The largest of these quakes reached a magnitude of 5.1 off the coast of El Hierro - the smallest island in the Canaries - and the island is said to have swelled by three inches. If the volcano was to erupt, the force could push masses of molten rock to the surface and could subsequently create a new island or islet in the Canary chain.A 5.1-magnitude earthquake hit El Hierro in the Canary Islands on Friday suggesting a nearby underwater volcano could soon erupt. This could force rock to emerge from the sea, creating a new island. In 2011, the southern tip of El Hierro was shaken by a 4.3-magnitude quake and magma appeared off the coast, picturedThis Nasa image shows seismic activity off the southwest coast of El Hierro in 2011It would also mean all 10,000 residents on the 107 square mile stretch of land would need to be evacuated.El Hierro itself was formed after three volcanic eruptions 100 million years ago and is topped by a volcano more than 6,000ft high. Read more: dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2531173/Could-Canaries-new-island-Recent-earthquakes-hint-imminent-underwater-eruption.html
Posted on: Sun, 30 Nov 2014 08:38:45 +0000
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