Earthquake strikes off Gran Canaria's coast

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On Monday at 6.59 pm, the IGN recorded a 2.3-magnitude earthquake near Gran Canaria at a depth of three kilometres.
Over the past 30 days, the monitoring stations in the Canary Islands have recorded 73 tremors, an average of 2.4 per day.
The Tenerife Island Council is planning two major emergency drills due to the increasing number of earthquake swarms on Mount Teide.

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An earthquake measuring 2.3 on the Richter scale was recorded by the Spanish National Geographic Institute (IGN) near Gran Canaria. The earth shook at 6.59 pm on Monday, with the epicentre located at a depth of three kilometres. An analysis of the data by the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) in France confirmed the earthquake.

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Compared with the current series of measurements, the figure remains within the normal range: the IGN recorded 73 tremors within 30 days in the Canary Islands region. That was an average of 2.4 tremors per day, with a mean magnitude of 1.9. Over the past seven days, the seismographs recorded ten tremors, which is fewer than the monthly average.

The Canary Islands are of volcanic origin. Minor tremors are a common occurrence there. Experts from the IGN and the Canary Islands Volcanological Institute (INVOLCAN) continuously monitor the subsoil. According to seismologists and geologists, a cluster of earthquakes does not automatically indicate an increased risk. Nevertheless, researchers are keeping a close eye on the situation, particularly since slightly higher levels of activity have been recorded around the Mount Teide.

Earthquakes on Mount Teide and between Tenerife and Gran Canaria

Just recently, the earth trembled off the north coast of Tenerife. The IGN classified more than ten tremors as tectonic. Furthermore, the area between the two main islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria repeatedly produces measurable activity: the Enmedio submarine volcano regularly causes tremors. At Pico Viejo, a subsidiary volcano of Mount Teide, researchers have also identified a large magma chamber beneath Tenerife. It is precisely at this location that tremors on the island have been concentrated for years.

Partly due to the increasing number of earthquake swarms on Mount Teide, the Tenerife Island Council has announced two emergency drills in the event of a possible volcanic eruption. These will take place in Guía de Isora and La Laguna.