Tenerife Records 90+ Quakes; Involcan: Eruption Risk Unchanged

More than 90 earthquakes were recorded in Tenerife between Monday and Tuesday of this week, southwest of the Las Cañadas caldera. Despite this noticeable number, the Volcanological Institute of the Canary Islands (Involcan) explained on its social media that this series of quakes does not signal an upcoming volcanic eruption in Tenerife. Involcan assured the public that "this seismic event does not change the likelihood of a volcanic eruption, either in the short or medium term, which remains low."

Involcan noted that while the recent earthquake activity was "slightly higher than the usual average," it "cannot be considered unusual for the island of Tenerife." Scientists also clarified that the strongest earthquake in this episode measured 1.8 on the magnitude scale.

In the past year alone, the institute has located 2,320 earthquakes, which averages about 6.35 seismic events per day. These figures indicate that these small seismic movements are a natural part of the island's behavior.

Regarding the more than 90 micro-earthquakes detected recently, experts pointed out that their magnitudes were "very low." Their origins were also in an area where earthquakes are common, reinforcing the idea that this is not an exceptional event.

A key part of Involcan's analysis is understanding what caused these micro-earthquakes. According to the scientific body, these detected seismic events are very likely linked to the movement of hot water and gases (hydrothermal fluids) within the island. Furthermore, this activity is part of the "pressurization process of the magmatic-hydrothermal system," which has been observed in Tenerife since late 2016.

Similarly, since late 2016, approximately 130 seismic swarms have been recorded in Tenerife. There have also been "significant increases" in the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas from the Teide crater, where the island's main visible volcanic gas vents (fumaroles) are concentrated.

"These observations clearly indicate that Tenerife's volcanic activity deep underground has undergone significant changes over the last nine years," Involcan stated. They added that the latest seismic swarm "reinforces the evidence that the increase in deep volcanic activity on the island shows no signs of slowing down."