Noticeable earthquake measuring 3.0 on the Richter scale strikes off Lanzarote

An earthquake measuring 3.0 on the Richter scale was recorded on Thursday around 50 kilometres off the coast of Lanzarote. The Spanish National Geographic Institute (IGN) recorded the tremor at 11.20 am. According to their data, the epicentre was at a depth of 30 kilometres. The Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) has since confirmed the quake and is using the Institute’s measurement data for its own analyses.

Compared with the other tremors of the past few weeks, the figure was relatively high. The institute recorded 69 earthquakes off or beneath the Canary Islands over the past 30 days. This equates to 2.3 earthquakes per day with an average magnitude of 2.0. Over the past seven days, a further 15 earthquakes were recorded, which is considered an unremarkable figure.

The most recent earthquake off Lanzarote was therefore a full point above the average for the recent past. Off Tenerife, seismologists recently reported several tectonic tremors, including another quake off the island’s north coast.

Earthquakes off Lanzarote and the volcanic subsurface of the Canary Islands

The Canary Islands are of volcanic origin. Mild tremors are a normal occurrence there: «The entire region of the Canary Islands is prone to earthquakes from time to time,» said the IGN director in the Canary Islands, Itahiza Domínguez, when commenting on the series of tectonic earthquakes off Tenerife. At the end of August, the Institute’s monitoring equipment off the coast of Tenerife recorded a tremor measuring 3.6 on the Richter scale. It was the strongest tremor recorded in recent weeks.

A magma reservoir has recently been moving beneath the islands. Researchers have identified a large magma chamber beneath Tenerife at Pico Viejo, a subsidiary volcano of Mount Teide. According to seismologists and geologists, earthquakes do not automatically indicate an increased risk. Nevertheless, experts are continuously monitoring the readings.