<p>I have been following the last events of Cumbre Vieja eruption since it started last month. Trying to grasp some basic knowledge of volcanology I have seen the eruption is classified as VEI-3 in the English Wikipedia and VEI-2 in the Spanish Wikipedia. According to the ejected volume it makes sense to say it is a VEI-3, but the experts on public television in Spain are not being that focused on the ejected volume but the type of eruption, which is Strombolian, so a VEI-2 for that case.</p>
<p>Here you can see the difference:</p>
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcanic_Explosivity_Index" rel="noreferrer">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcanic_Explosivity_Index</a></p>
<p><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%8Dndice_de_explosividad_volc%C3%A1nica" rel="noreferrer">https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%8Dndice_de_explosividad_volc%C3%A1nica</a></p>
<p>Which is the real category of the current Cumbre Vieja eruption?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-26T14:14:32.627Z
your question highlights some of the problems with the VEI indexing because the Cumbre Vieja eruption is a VEI 1-2-3 at the same time,i hope you can get a good answer to this question.
trond hansen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-11-27T09:43:46.863Z
The Volcanic Emergy Plan of Canaries (Pevolca) has raised the level of VEI from 2 to 3 due to the amount of ejected material. The spokeswoman of the committee, Carmen López, said that the mechanism of eruption and the explosivity remains the same. So this change of the VEI is strictly related with the volume ejection. It is still interesting to know if a VEI of 4 can happen because of the volume ejection even though the structure is still strombolian.  [link](https://www.efe.com/efe/espana/portada/el-volcan-de-la-palma-sube-indice-explosividad-por-acumulacion-piroclastos/10010-4680441)
M_1
<geology><volcanology><natural-disasters><volcanic-eruption>
Volcanic Explosivity Index of Cumbre Vieja eruption
M_1
# Volcanic Explosivity Index of Cumbre Vieja eruption

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-10-22)

I have been following the last events of Cumbre Vieja eruption since it started last month. Trying to grasp some basic knowledge of volcanology I have seen the eruption is classified as VEI-3 in the English Wikipedia and VEI-2 in the Spanish Wikipedia. According to the ejected volume it makes sense to say it is a VEI-3, but the experts on public television in Spain are not being that focused on the ejected volume but the type of eruption, which is Strombolian, so a VEI-2 for that case.

Here you can see the difference:

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcanic_Explosivity_Index>

<https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%8Dndice_de_explosividad_volc%C3%A1nica>

Which is the real category of the current Cumbre Vieja eruption?

**Tags:** geology, volcanology, natural-disasters, volcanic-eruption

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: your question highlights some of the problems with the VEI indexing because the Cumbre Vieja eruption is a VEI 1-2-3 at the same time,i hope you can get a good answer to this question.  
> **username_0**: The Volcanic Emergy Plan of Canaries (Pevolca) has raised the level of VEI from 2 to 3 due to the amount of ejected material. The spokeswoman of the committee, Carmen López, said that the mechanism of eruption and the explosivity remains the same. So this change of the VEI is strictly related with the volume ejection. It is still interesting to know if a VEI of 4 can happen because of the volume ejection even though the structure is still strombolian.  [link](https://www.efe.com/efe/espana/portada/el-volcan-de-la-palma-sube-indice-explosividad-por-acumulacion-piroclastos/10010-4680441)  

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## 0 answers

