Tenerife Records Second Unfelt Quake Swarm; No Imminent Eruption
Tenerife has experienced its second period of deep, unfelt earthquake activity in less than a week, with scientists confirming the small tremors do not indicate an imminent volcanic eruption.
Tenerife has experienced its second period of earthquake activity in less than a week. Scientists say this doesn't change their predictions for a volcanic eruption happening soon or in the near future. The tremors, which occurred on Monday afternoon and evening, were so small that residents didn't feel them.
These quakes are very weak and happen deep underground, about seven to eight kilometers down. Experts say they are not a sign that the island's volcanic process is changing or that an eruption is likely in the coming days or months.
During this event, 755 different seismic movements were identified, though the actual number might be higher. The National Geographic Institute (IGN) explained that many of these signals were too weak to be fully identified in their records. All the quakes were very small, less than 0.8 on the magnitude scale.
The tremors happened in two main stages. They began around 6:00 PM with small vibrations. But between 8:00 PM and 9:30 PM, the quakes were clearer to detect. After 11:14 PM, the tremors changed, becoming weaker and more frequent, until they almost disappeared by 6:00 AM on Tuesday. During this time, there were also a few stronger, low-frequency quakes, with one at 4:18 AM being particularly noticeable.
Analyzing all the quakes shows their center was in the western part of Las Cañadas del Teide, at the same deep level. This area has seen similar groups of tremors before, in October 2016, June 2019, June and July 2022, and several times in 2024, including February 12th.
Both the IGN and Involcan agree that this activity is not caused by magma moving up towards the surface. Involcan believes that magma stored deep under the island – which is normal for volcanically active islands – might be releasing gases. These gases then build up in the underground water system. This build-up of gas pressure is thought to be causing the tremors recorded since 2016, along with changes in the ground and more CO2 gas coming out, which was noticed in 2023.
It's important to remember that in the past, volcanic eruptions in the Canary Islands were always preceded by much stronger signs. These included earthquakes that people could feel for days or even months before an eruption actually happened.