La Palma 2021 Eruption (Canary Islands): Measurements and Modelling of Lava Flow Cooling Rates and Applications for Infrastructure Reconstruction and Risk Mitigation

Abstract

On 19 September 2021, a strombolian volcanic eruption began on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands. This event resulted in the destruction of 73 km of roads, urban infrastructure, numerous houses, and agricultural crops, affecting approximately 7200 people and causing losses exceeding 1.2 billion euros. Around 12 km2 were covered by aa and pahoehoe lava flows, which reached thicknesses of over 70 m. Following the end of the eruption, thermal, geological, and geotechnical site investigations were carried out for the reconstruction and territorial and urban planning, with the main objectives focused on opening roads through hot lava, constructing new urban settlements in areas covered by lava flows, and facilitating the agricultural recovery. The primary challenges to reconstruction included the very slow cooling rate of the lava, resulting in persistent high temperatures, exceeding 500 °C, its highly heterogeneous geotechnical properties with numerous cavities and lava caves, and the presence of toxic gases. Site investigations included geotechnical boreholes, seismic geophysics and ground-penetration radar, and temperature measurements of lava flows using drones and thermocouple devices inside boreholes. To estimate the cooling rates of the lava flows, two physical cooling models were developed based on thermal behavior and geological–geotechnical data. The results indicated that lava cooling durations in some areas exceed practical waiting times for commencing reconstruction. This led to the development of geological engineering solutions that permit road construction and urban and agricultural reconstruction to begin sooner than estimated by the cooling models. On the other hand, potential hazards arising from the eruption process have also been taken into account. Stability analyses of the 200 m high volcanic cone formed during the eruption indicate the possibility of failure in the event of heavy rain and consequently lahar hazards. The results of the investigations carried out and their applications to post-disaster reconstruction may be useful for other volcanic regions, contributing to minimizing risk to infrastructure and urban settlements.