The terrifying La Palma detail missing from the new Netflix series

If La Palma hadn’t already filled you with existential dread, there’s a terrifying detail that’s left out of the new Netflix series – but there’s no need to panic just yet. 

La Palma has proven to be the ultimate end-of-year binge-watch, having raced to third place on the Netflix top 10 chart in the US after landing on the streaming service on Thursday, December 12. 

Though the Norwegian TV show is fictional, it’s based around a real hypothesis: that a Manhattan-sized chunk of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the Canary Islands’ La Palma could collapse into the Atlantic Ocean. 

This, in theory, could cause a tsunami so big, it’d reach the East coast of North America and kill millions across the globe. Scary, right? Well, one detail that’s missed out involves a discovery made after the volcano’s last eruption in 2021. 

Netflix series La Palma misses this chilling detail

The 2021 volcanic eruption revealed disturbing details about the island’s magma system – according to a study published in 2022, there’s a massive magma reservoir beneath La Palma that demonstrates potential for future volcanic activity. 

Dr. Luca D’Auria, director of the volcanic surveillance area of ​​the Volcanological Institute of the Canary Islands, Involcan, and her team of researchers were able to gain these insights by obtaining high-resolution images of Earth’s interior for the La Palma volcanic eruption.

This was done with seismic tomography, a technique that uses earthquake data to map underground structures. The imagery showed that, prior to the beginning of the 2021 eruption – which lasted 85 days and caused significant damage – magma moved rapidly from 10km below to the surface.

As per D’Auria et al, “Our results suggest that this large magma reservoir feeds the La Palma eruption continuously.” But perhaps most unsettling is it shows how quickly volcanic activity can escalate, raising concerns about future disasters. 

But don’t go running for the hills just yet. Though the speed and intensity of the magma movement are a stark reminder of nature’s power, they’re nothing to be concerned about for now.

The La Palma disaster theory doesn’t hold water

Sure, the Netflix series is based on a real theory put forward by Steven N. Ward and Simon Day in a 2001 paper, but experts have since cast doubt on the size and endurance of a subsequent tsunami and the likelihood of the mountainous collapse. 

That’s not to say it could never happen, with the 2021 eruption reigniting concerns. But it’s not a scenario that should be keeping you up at night. 

As outlined by the United States Geological Survey, “The Canary Islands ‘mega-tsunami’ scenario assumed a single, coherent, massive collapse block that reached a high velocity very quickly. 

“Ocean floor mapping surrounding the Canary Islands, however, indicates that collapses instead occur in incremental or piecemeal fashion. 

“In addition, geomorphologists found, via slope stability analysis, that the potential collapse volume is much smaller than was simulated by the 2001 paper.”

Thanks to the advancement of tsunami modelling techniques, new simulations suggest that an 82-feet wave reaching the East coast of the US, as was previously theorized, is unlikely. 

Instead, the simulations suggest a ‘worst case scenario’ collapse would result in a wave of between three to seven feet, which USGS states would be “still hazardous, but similar to common storm surge.”

If you haven’t watched it yet and feel brave enough to give it a go, La Palma is streaming on Netflix now. Be sure to also check out our roundup of the best shows of 2024, the top horror series ever made, and the shocking true story behind Netflix’s The Abyss.