Tenerife Records New Seismic Swarm
Tenerife experienced a "seismic swarm" of four low-intensity, mostly deep earthquakes on Tuesday, prompting an IGN alert but causing no damage and reassuring residents.
Tenerife experienced a series of earthquakes this Tuesday. The National Geographic Institute (IGN) recorded four tremors from early morning until mid-morning, each occurring in a different part of the island. Although none caused any damage, authorities are advising residents to stay informed.
One of the tremors was located inland, while the other three happened in the ocean. The first two were off the eastern coast, and the last one, which occurred at dawn, was near the northwest coast. These three ocean tremors were spread out, forming a kind of triangle around the island, and most of them were more than 30 kilometers deep.
However, one tremor at 5:25 AM stood out for being much shallower, at only 3 kilometers deep. This series of events has led the IGN to issue new alerts, warning of a fresh 'seismic swarm' on the island.
The IGN sensors recorded the first tremor of the day at 2:00 AM. It happened about 15 kilometers off Tenerife's southeast coast, near San Miguel de Tajao. This earthquake measured 1.7 on the Richter scale and was 31 kilometers deep.
The second tremor, at 5:25 AM, was the shallowest of the night, originating just 3 kilometers below the seabed. Although it also measured 1.7, people didn't feel it because it was more than 20 kilometers off the coast of Punta de Abona.
The third tremor, recorded at 7:06 AM, occurred near Santiago del Teide. Measuring 1.6 and 37 kilometers deep, residents didn't notice it at all, though it was clearly picked up by monitoring equipment. Its origin was between the Chinyero volcano, the Mirador de los Poleos viewpoint, and the Boca Cangrejo volcano.
The final tremor in this sequence occurred at 6:15 AM, a few minutes before the 7:06 AM quake was publicly noted. It measured 2.1, making it the strongest of the day, but people didn't feel it either, due to its 33-kilometer depth. As of now, this is the most recent earthquake logged in Spain.
IGN scientists remind the public that such tremors are common in a volcanic region like Tenerife. They emphasize that residents should remain calm, as these were low-intensity, deep tremors, unlikely to cause damage or pose any real danger.