View of the recorded swarm
A new seismic swarm beneath Mount Teide has triggered the seismographs of the Canary Islands Seismic Network, with more than 90 very low-magnitude tremors concentrated in just over an hour. This is a modest energy event, typical of volcanic islands, and part of the recent activity of the Teide-Pico Viejo system.
The tremors occurred between 17:14 p.m. and 18:26 p.m. (Canary Islands time) and were clearly recorded by the TNOR station , located on the volcano's north face. Involcan classifies these events as volcano-tectonic , caused by the fracturing of rocks at depth.
Where and when the swarm was detected
Visible registration at the North Station
The event occurred on Saturday, August 30 , and was recorded by the Canary Islands Seismic Network (Involcan) on the northern slope of Mount Teide . Its temporal concentration and low magnitude are consistent with patterns observed in other recent seismic swarms, such as the recent seismic spike in Tenerife.
In parallel, the National Geographic Institute validated part of that activity and counted fifteen earthquakes with magnitudes between 0,2 and 0,8 , which confirms that we are talking about small movements, generally not perceived by the population.
What type of seismicity is it and what does it imply?
Volcanic seismicity characteristic
Swarms like this one are formed by volcano-tectonic (VT) events , which originate when internal pressure causes microfractures in the rock. They are low-energy earthquakes and, for the most part, imperceptible to people.
Some of the weakest microtremors are only detected by the automatic system and do not make it into the final catalog due to their limited quality, which is normal in microseismicity sequences such as the one observed under Teide.
A summer with several swarms under Teide
Summer swarm pattern
This is not an isolated incident: several swarms have been recorded on the island this summer . In early August, a phase with more than 55 VT events was detected at depths of approximately 8–14 km , followed by another phase with more than 700 hybrid events in just a few hours, indicating fluid movement within the system.
That was the sixth hybrid swarm since 2016. Although no significant changes in ground deformation or notable increases in gases were observed at the time , it did reinforce the idea of ​​a dynamic volcanic system that requires close monitoring.
An activity that has been repeated since 2017
Series of swarms since 2017
Since June 2017, Tenerife has experienced more than 120 swarms of this type. Involcan links them to a pressurization process of the volcanic-hydrothermal system , related to the injection of magmatic fluids at depth.
This trend has been observed repeatedly since 2016 and is supported by independent geochemical and geophysical data : increased diffuse CO₂ emissions in the Teide crater and a slight ground deformation detected since 2024 in the northeast sector of the Teide–Pico Viejo complex.
What the agencies say: surveillance and risk level
Continuous scientific monitoring
Both Involcan and the IGN emphasize that, to date, there are no indications pointing to an increased probability of eruption in Tenerife in the short or medium term. Monitoring is continuous and focuses on potential signs such as sustained gas emissions , accelerated deformation, or more energetic and frequent swarms of volcanic activity.
The monitoring network allows for the rapid detection of changes in key parameters and the communication of system developments to civil protection authorities. In the current context, the observed activity is consistent with the typical behavior of Mount Teide.
Field surveillance teams
The new swarm provides valuable information about the respiration of the volcanic system without translating into an immediate threat: more than 90 micro-earthquakes in a short time, within a trend of swarms that has been repeated since 2017 and with indicators (COâ‚‚ and deformation) monitored with a magnifying glass by the scientific teams.
