Geologist Dip Volcanic Cumbre Vieja Rocks in Water Making It Boil and Showing Just How Intense the Eruption Is

To get a sense of just how hot Cumbre Vieja is, Geologists dipped volcanic rocks in a bucket of water. And it boiled almost instantly.

The geologists from Spain's Geological and Mining Institute carefully performed the task in La Palma, wearing protective gear.

Since the Cumbre Vieja volcano started erupting on September 19, the lava has swallowed hundreds of houses as well as roads, schools, churches and banana plantations, forcing thousands to evacuate their homes.

The volcano began erupting again Monday after a lull, while hundreds of people in coastal villages hunkered down in anticipation of lava reaching the sea and releasing toxic gas.

Researchers say the volcano is now in an effusive phase. This means there will be fewer explosions, and the activity in the main cone will decline.

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