21st Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Volcano at Home

In September 2021, after intense seismic activity, the birth of the Tajogaite volcano begins on the island of La Palma (Canary Islands, Spain). With an uninterrupted duration of 85 days, during this period, the lava transformed the landscape of the island and the lives of a large part of its population; It extended over more than 1,200 hectares, involved the evacuation of about 7,000 people and affected more than 1,700 buildings and infrastructure. Many buildings were simply buried between several meters of lava, others, like this one, saw how the lava entered and filled every corner as if it were sand, leaving a testimony of the power of this type of natural phenomenon.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 02.2023
Date Uploaded: 11.2023
Photo Location: Los Llanos de Aridane, La Palma island, Canary islands, Spain
Camera: realme 7
Copyright: © Fernando LEAL