During the early hours of last morning, the National Geographic Institute (IGN) has detected a new seismic swarm in the area of Las Cañadas del Teide, southwest of Pico Viejo, on the island of Tenerife. Over the course of about five hours, more than 700 small earthquakes in the same area, which has once again put the spotlight on the volcanic activity of the island.
This phenomenon has generated some concern among the population, although both the IGN and the Canary Islands Volcanological Institute (Involcan) have agreed that There is no risk to the island's inhabitantsThe movements, according to specialists, are common in volcanically active regions and should not be interpreted as a prelude to an imminent eruption.
Characteristics of the seismic swarm: very slight and localized earthquakes
According to the IGN, The earthquakes began around 2:00 a.m. and ended around 7:30. All events were located about 10 kilometers deep and presented very low magnitudes, always less than 1 on the Richter scale. This explains why None of the earthquakes were felt by the population.
Due to its intensity, Most of the tremors were only captured by automatic systems seismic monitoring. The IGN itself has pointed out that many of these events, due to their low energy, do not meet the requirements to be included in the official catalog of the organism.
This episode marks the Sixth seismic swarm detected in Tenerife since 2016The previous ones occurred in October 2016, June 2019, twice in 2022, and in November 2024, all in the same area near Mount Teide.
Frequent earthquakes, but no signs of an imminent eruption
Experts have made it clear that these Seismic swarms are not associated with magmatic intrusion. Itahiza Domínguez, director of the IGN in the Canary Islands, has stressed that “It's something small and normal on a volcanic island"and there is no reason to be alarmed. Compared to other recent volcanic crises in the Canary Islands, such as the 2021 eruption of La Palma, the Teide swarm does not show the energy, migration pattern, or changes in gas emissions that would indicate an imminent eruption.
Involcan has specified that, in fact, two types of swarms have been identified: one volcano-tectonic and the other hybrid, both typical of the island's underground dynamics. The first lasted about three hours, totaling 55 earthquakes with a maximum magnitude of 1,5, and the second, made up of hundreds of small events, was related to the movement of hydrothermal fluids such as water and gases through subsurface fractures.
The scientific community recalls that, despite continued monitoring and accumulation of magma at depth, no other key indicators such as significant ground deformations or anomalous increases in gas emissions have been detected.
Is there a risk of an eruption in Tenerife?
According to current data, There is no evidence to suggest a short-term eruptionTenerife's seismic history shows that these events are relatively frequent and that the island, although volcanically active, is behaving in a stable manner compared to other historical episodes such as those of La Palma or El Hierro in 2011.
Domínguez insists that the probability of an eruption in Tenerife ranges between 30% and 40% over the next 50 years, but clarifies that it's impossible to predict when this will happen. The volcanologist himself points out that magma can "spend years, even decades, accumulating beneath the islands before any eruption."
The IGN and Involcan have informed regional authorities of the incident, although no change in alert levels or the need to activate any emergency protocol is anticipated for now.
Permanent surveillance and scientific monitoring
La seismic monitoring network The Canary Islands is one of the most comprehensive in Europe and can detect even the slightest subsurface movements. Thanks to this infrastructure, scientists can provide early warning of any significant abnormal signs.
From the analysis, Signs of volcanic activity in Tenerife remain stable and they do not warn of any immediate risk, maintaining active and constant surveillance throughout the area.
