Small Earthquake Swarm Hits Tenerife Coast, No Cause for Alarm
A swarm of approximately 40 minor, unfelt volcano-tectonic earthquakes, with a maximum magnitude of 2.2, has been recorded off the coast of Fasnia, Tenerife, prompting monitoring but not raising immediate concerns about volcanic activity.
A series of 40 small earthquakes has been detected off the coast of Fasnia, Tenerife, since last Thursday, according to the National Geographic Institute (IGN). So far, they've been able to pinpoint the location of 16 of them.
These earthquakes occurred at depths of 20 to 29 kilometers, with the largest measuring 2.2 on the Richter scale. Luckily, no one has felt them.
Itahiza Domínguez, the director of the IGN in the Canary Islands, told EFE that these earthquakes are "very small and scattered." He explained that they are "volcano-tectonic events," which are different from the longer-lasting ones often linked to underground fluids, like some of those recorded beneath Mount Teide.
Domínguez stressed that this series of earthquakes near Fasnia "is not a cause for concern" and doesn't suggest that magma is pushing its way up under Tenerife. However, he added that "we'll need to monitor how it develops and whether it intensifies," especially since it's been ongoing for several days.
For now, the director of the IGN in the Canary Islands reiterated that "it's nothing to worry about and doesn't change the volcanic activity status on Tenerife."