A catastrophic flank collapse of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on La Palma could send a 65-foot megatsunami crashing into the US East Coast within nine hours, according to computer simulations outlined by volcanologist Professor Bill McGuire.
The warning focuses on a massive wall of rock on the western flank of Cumbre Vieja, a volcanic ridge stretching roughly 12 miles and towering nearly 6,400 feet above sea level on La Palma in Spain’s Canary Islands. Professor Bill McGuire, who has been monitoring the volcano, explained in Dailymail coverage that the steep western flank became partly detached during an eruption in 1949. Research teams pointed out that a massive wall of rock was slowly inching toward the sea. Gases seeping through the interior can weaken a volcano, allowing a section to break off into a fast-moving landslide without requiring an active eruption. The growing concern centers on this massive wall of rock slowly inching toward the sea that would displace a biblical amount of water if it collapses, according to the volcanologist.
Computer Simulations Show Waves Reaching Florida in Nine Hours
A worst-case computer model details how a massive section of the western flank breaking away and plunging into the Atlantic Ocean would displace an enormous volume of seawater. Thorough investigations lead McGuire to anticipate that this specific segment of the flank will ultimately plunge into the North Atlantic, thereby triggering a megatsunami.
To support the trans-oceanic potential of these waves, researchers point to massive boulders dumped on shores in the Bahamas that are believed to have been carried there by ancient tsunamis sourced in the Canary Islands. Professor Bill McGuire pointed out that these large rocks indicate a Cumbre Vieja tsunami could retain massive destructive power even after traversing the Atlantic, though this perspective faces opposition from certain experts.
Scientific Debate Over the Threat of an Atlantic Catastrophe
The severity of the threat remains a subject of intense scientific disagreement regarding whether devastating waves will reach the coast of North America.
There has been huge debate and discussion, sometimes quite heated, about the level of expected destruction, and — in particular — whether devastating waves will reach the coast of North America.
Professor Bill McGuire, who has been monitoring Cumbre Vieja on La Palma
The Tsunami Society previously issued a report to address what committee members termed unfounded reports regarding a future Atlantic catastrophe, stating that while Cumbre Vieja is expected to erupt again, it will not send a large part of the island into the ocean, Unilad reported.
No such event – a mega tsunami – has occurred in either the Atlantic or Pacific oceans in recorded history. NONE.
The Tsunami Society
Centuries or Millennia Before Any Potential Collapse
While the computer models outline extreme worst-case scenarios, experts stress that an Atlantic-wide disaster is not an immediate threat. According to Internewscast, although a generated tsunami would move across the ocean at speeds comparable to a jetliner, the underlying volcanic collapse may not happen for hundreds or thousands of years.
I have no doubt this will be a cataclysmic event, but have no idea when it will happen — it could easily be centuries or even millennia down the line
Professor Bill McGuire, who has been monitoring Cumbre Vieja
While Professor Bill McGuire emphasized the extreme uncertainty surrounding the timeline, he made it clear that scientists remain vigilant in tracking the volcano’s ongoing stability.