Smalle earthquakes on Tenerife occur quite frequently, but a cluster of 500 tremors near Pico Viejo is rather exceptional.
Between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. on Wednesday, November 13, approximately 500 earthquakes were recorded in the area of Pico Viejo. This is the fifth such incident in the region since 2016. The Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN) recognizes an “anomaly” in the series of tremors, also referred to as a seismic swarm, beneath Mount Teide.
The Fifth Time
The phenomenon is “anomalous,” but it has nothing to do with the process that led to the last volcanic eruption on La Palma. This is how Itahiza Domínguez, director of the Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN) in the Canary Islands, described the seismic swarm detected in the early hours of last Wednesday in Las Cañadas del Teide.
Between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m., approximately 500 earthquakes were recorded. It is important to note that awareness of such phenomena is thanks to technological advances; in the past, such tremors could occur on Tenerife without the population being aware.
This anomaly is not new; it is the fifth such incident in the same region since 2016. At the same time, Domínguez admitted that “it is difficult to know exactly what is happening.”
Staying Alert
There is no reason to be alarmed or overly concerned, as these are very minor events that accumulate over a short time span—in this case, the most intense phase of the activity lasted only two hours. The earthquakes were not felt by the population, unlike the situation on La Palma in 2021, where the tremors were strongly felt.
However, scientists and authorities must remain vigilant about potential developments. These tremors are attributed to the island’s inherent volcanic activity, which is “active.” This is crucial information for the island’s inhabitants to prevent unexpected surprises.
A Specific, Isolated Event
It would be concerning if such clusters occurred weekly; in that case, all alarms would go off. However, that is not currently the situation. Of course, the events must be analyzed to understand what is happening, the experts emphasize.
Analyzing seismic activity on Tenerife is challenging because past eruptions were never instrumentally recorded. Historical eruptions are only known through reports from the population at the time.
This small earthquakes on Tenerife or swarm can be described as a “very specific, isolated event” that seems to have ended. As is customary, such clusters typically last only a few hours and occurred in a region where small earthquakes sporadically happen every year.
Microsismic Activity
Between 4:00 and 7:20 a.m. (UTC), the Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN) detected an anomalous microsismic activity in Las Cañadas del Teide National Park. At least 500 earthquakes were recorded in the same region where similar seismic swarms have been observed in recent years.
This activity was located southwest of Pico Viejo, where swarms previously occurred in October 2016, June 2019, and June and July 2022.
The seismic activity began with a series of 10 earthquakes with a magnitude below 1.1 (mbLg) at a depth of 8 to 12 kilometers. These were followed by signals of longer duration, without clearly defined seismic phases, and with a high-frequency character.
Since 2017, at least 118 seismic swarms and five hybrid seismic events have been recorded on Tenerife, on October 2, 2016, June 14, 2019, June 16, 2022, July 12, 2022, and November 14, 2024.
Pressure Build-Up
According to the Instituto Volcanológico de Canarias (Involcan), these recent events, along with other geochemical observations, indicate a pressurization of Tenerife’s volcanic-hydrothermal system since 2016. This is linked to the injection of magmatic fluids into the underlying volcanic-hydrothermal system.
Involcan also stressed that these phenomena do not indicate an increased likelihood of a volcanic eruption on Tenerife in the short or medium term. However, Tenerife remains an active volcanic island, with an estimated 39.35% chance of an eruption in the next 50 years, according to a press release issued yesterday.
Small Earthquakes on Tenerife ©
ign.es © Illustration
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