The ULL and the ULPGC analyze the information provided by the gases emitted from the fumaroles of Tajogaite

Researchers from the Universities of La Laguna and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, along with experts from the Natural History Museum of Barcelona, the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), and the Spanish State Research Agency (AEINE), have analyzed the information provided by the gases emanating from the fumaroles of the Tajogaite volcano on La Palma. The results of this work have been published in the journal Scientific Reports, The publication belongs to the Nature publishing group. José Mangas and Jorge Yepes led the research conducted at the institution in Las Palmas, while Jorge Méndez Ramos led the research for the institution in Tenerife.

Researchers have analyzed the gases emanating not from the main cone, but from fissures in the ground, known as fumaroles. Two field visits were conducted in February and June 2022, after the eruptive phase had ended, to collect data. During these visits, 73 samples were gathered from different areas around the Tajogaite volcanic edifice. Fumaroles are ephemeral structures, making La Palma a unique opportunity to study this phenomenon, given its active volcanic activity.

The interaction of gases with the rock paints the terrain in different colors, providing information about its composition and temperature in each area of the volcano. Fumarole areas farther from the cone are predominantly whitish, while those near the Tajogaite volcanic edifice typically display yellowish to orange hues. Field observations also revealed that fumaroles generally occur in fractures or areas located in elevated topographic zones, as well as in fractured and porous volcanic pyroclastic materials.

Similarly, this work was complemented by a schematic model of the formation of fumarole mineralization in the volcano and its compositional evolution, which developed during the cooling of the volcanic system. The analysis of fumarole parameters is useful not only for a better understanding of the volcanic system, but also as a monitoring and control tool during the pre-eruptive phase.