The National Geographic Institute (IGN) has reported a new episode of seismic activity beneath the island of Tenerife, where more than 60 seismic events were detected within a 24-hour period. The activity was concentrated mainly in the area to the west of Las Cañadas del Teide, one of the zones where this type of seismo-volcanic activity is frequently recorded.
According to the institute, the events form part of a series of low-frequency seismic bursts detected beneath the island. The activity has been intermittent and has not been felt by the population at any time.
The first burst was recorded at 05:14 on Thursday and lasted only 11 minutes. During that short period, the IGN detected 16 earthquakes at depths of between 8 and 17 kilometres below sea level. Their magnitudes were very low, ranging from 0.6 to 1 mbLg.
Activity resumed during the afternoon and continued overnight
After the initial burst, seismic activity resumed later in the afternoon and continued throughout the night. The IGN’s automatic detection system recorded 63 additional seismic events, although analysts had only been able to locate 14 of them at the time of the report.
These new events were also deep and of very low magnitude. They were located at depths of between 8 and 15 kilometres, with magnitudes ranging from 0.4 to 0.8 mbLg.
Most of the hypocentres were situated in the western sector of Las Cañadas, an area where similar seismic episodes are relatively common. In addition to this cluster, the IGN also detected an isolated microseismic event in the municipality of Icod de los Vinos. That event had a magnitude of 0.3 mbLg and was recorded at a depth of around 2 kilometres.
Deep, low-energy tremors that were not felt by residents
Specialists from the institute have stressed that the tremors were deep, low-energy and imperceptible to the public. The seismic activity corresponds to low-frequency hybrid events, a type of signal associated with volcanic systems but not necessarily linked to any immediate danger.
The IGN has sought to send a message of reassurance, explaining that this episode is very similar to other seismic sequences already recorded in Tenerife during February and March of this year. On this occasion, however, the activity shows significantly less energy.
No increased risk of eruption in the short or medium term
The institute has emphasised that this type of seismo-volcanic activity is normal on a geologically active island such as Tenerife. According to the IGN, the recent activity does not imply an increased risk of a volcanic eruption in the short or medium term.
Tenerife remains under continuous surveillance through the national volcanic monitoring network, which includes more than 100 measuring stations distributed across the island. The data collected by these stations continue to be analysed in detail by specialist teams of seismologists and volcanologists.
For now, the message from the authorities is one of calm: the detected activity is being closely monitored, but there is no indication of an imminent volcanic process.
