Scientists are expecting earthquakes of above M 4.6 on El Hierro

Sergio Gutierrez, Valverde (11.13.2011. 8:16 pm)

Scientists monitor continuously the island of El Hierro are "expecting" that the island will register quakes greater than 4.6 magnitude on the Richter scale, a prediction that keeps the tunnels Roquille and several roads on the island closed to traffic.

The director of IGN in the Canaries, José María Blanco, already announced that the island could suffer earthquakes of 4.5 or 4.6 degrees of magnitude and it happened. Now, the scientific committee considered "expected earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 4.6".

Meanwhile, following the eruption in La Restinga and adding weight to the possibility of another eruption at Frontera, under the sea, but not ruled out either on land, this is the current situation in El Hierro, an island that remains in yellow light and the red level 1 Restinga, a town which remains evacuated and that can only go to their homes from 08:00 to 18:00.

Although scientists say the likelihood of this possible eruption in the north of the island evolve into land is lower, since the incidence of gas is not high, the distortions are less pronounced and the seismicity occurs mostly in the sea nor is it ruled out on the ground eruption, although nobody knows where or to what extent could it could take, a circumstance which has not only kept in suspense to the people of Frontera, living in constant tremor, but a whole island that feels increasingly more earthquakes .

However, the scientific committee believes that in the event of a submarine eruption in the north,''it would not have the impact that occurs off the coast of La Restinga as the depth quickly reaches levels above 1,500 meters.''