Thirteen scientists and 16 crew members on board the Spanish vessel Ángeles Alvariño will take samples for two days at the south of La Palma.
The team will be on site to “define the base level of water properties in La Palma” after the Canary Islands was recently rocked by a flurry of earthquakes, sparking fears it the deadly Cumbre Veija volcano is about to erupt.
Although scientists insist it is not due to any sign in the sea of an ongoing eruptive process or signs of an imminent eruption, they will divert their usual route to the the island of El Hierro, where they visit twice a year for 15 days, to visit La Palma.
The Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO), the IGN, the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME), the Volcanological Institute of the Canary Islands (Involcan) and the Quima-Iocag group of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the University of Laguna will participate in this project
LA PALMA VOLCANO: WILL IT ERUPT?
They will study temperature, conductivity, pressure, salinity, pH, carbon dioxide, alkalinity, noble gases, or conductivity of the water column, pressure, fluorescence, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and up to more than 40 physical-chemical parameters in the seabed of La Palma.
The latest development comes as it emerged volcano experts have begun to monitor the subterranean waters in La Palma over fears the deadly Cumbre Vieja could erupt.
A hydrogeochemical monitoring programme has been set up in a bid to strengthen the volcanic monitoring of the Canary Islands volcano.
This programme will see scientists sample subterranean waters and PH levels, conductivity, temperature and radon dissolved gas activity.
La Palma’s latest tremor was felt nine kilometres below ground.
There were 44 earthquakes recorded up to 2.1 magnitude hit between last Friday at 1.52pm and Saturday to 4.17am.
But experts believe the total number, including ones too small to be located, within the seismic storm was 352.
Additional reporting by Maria Ortega