“La Palma”: What is real and what is fiction in the series about the volcano and the megatsunami?

La series La Palmaestrenada etc December 12 as Netflixcombines elements of drama and desastre to resist a story of una familia atrapada en una situación límite. The plot revolves around a volcanic eruption that threatens to unchain megatsunami capaz de poner en peligro a diverse continents.

Although the series is not based directly on real events, it finds inspiration in an authentic geographic scenario and scientific theories that were the object of debate during the years.

La Palma, una de las Canary Islandses conocida como la “Isla Bonita” thanks to its combination of volcanic landscapes, crystalline waters and an exuberant pine forest.

This natural paradise also has high mountain peaks ideal for astronomical observation, which makes it a unique destination both for tourists and scientists.

Sin embargo, the beauty of the island contrasts with its latent risk: it is home to Cumbre Vieja, one of the most active volcanic structures in the region. Cumbre Vieja registró eruptions a lo largo del último siglo, including events in 1949, 1971 and, more recently, in 2021.

These activities reinforced the reputation of La Palma as an intense place activity volcano que, a pesar de su peligrosidad, también la hace fascinating para los studios geologicos.

El 19 September 2021El Cumbre Vieja began one of the most outstanding eruptions in the modern history of the island. The event, preceded by an increase in seismic activity since 2017, marked the beginning of an 85-day period of expulsion of lava, gases y cenizas. The eruption was the longest ever recorded in La Palma.

The impact on daily life and the environment was significant: more than that 7 million inhabitants tuvenon que ser evacuados mientras la lava destruía alrededor de 3 miles properties y afectaba cientos de hectares de plantations de banano, una de las principales actividades económicas de la isla.

In addition, the toxic gases emitted when entering the lava in contact with the ocean obliged many inhabitants to remain confined in their homes for security reasons.

On December 25, 2021, the Spanish government officially declared the end of the eruption, with the president Pedro Sanchez describiendo el anuncio como “the best Christmas gift” para los afectados. Sin embargo, las cicatrices de este evento persisten en la infrastructure y el ecosistema de la isla.

A central element of the Netflix series is the megatsunami theory, first proposed in an article in 2001. This study would suggest that a massive collapse of Cumbre Vieja could generate waves of up to 24 meters high, capable of impacting the coasts North America, South America y otras regiones a lo largo del Atlantico.

Although the hypothesis captured the imagination of the public and the creators of the series, it was the object of criticism. El United States Geological Survey (USGS) sotinere que un collapse de esta magnitude es improbable, ya que los derrumbes volcánicos suelen ocurrir de manera gradual y no en un single evento catastrófico.

Según las simulations actuales, las olas generated por un derrumbe will be much smaller, probably between 1 and 2 meters all llegar a costas lejanas como las de Estados Unidos.

The authenticity of them La Palma se ve reflezada en su meticulous producción. The series was filmed en gran medida on the island of La Palma itself, taking advantage of its unique geography to recreate an immersive environment.

Lugares como la playa de arena negra y el complejo turístico Isla Bonita se utilizaron como escenarios principales, mientras que otras escenas fueron rodadas en Tenerifey diversas playas de las Canary Islands.

Including the local airport, which was closed during the eruption of 2021 due to the accumulation of ash, it served as a location for some key shots.