Magnitude 3.6 quakes rattle coast of Tenerife, Canary Islands report

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On Wednesday at 5.57 pm, seismologists recorded several earthquakes measuring up to magnitude 3.6, approximately 30 kilometres off the coast of Tenerife.
According to the Spanish Geological Institute, the epicentres were at a depth of 35 kilometres.
Tenerife's Island Council announced two emergency drills in response to the swarm of earthquakes on Mount Teide, including a mass evacuation in Guía de Isora on 22 October.

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There was an earthquake off the coast of Tenerife on Wednesday at 5.57 pm. Seismologists in the Canary Islands recorded a tremor measuring 3.6 on the Richter scale, approximately 30 kilometres off the coast of Tenerife. According to the Spanish National Geographic Institute (IGN), the epicentre was at a depth of 35 kilometres. The Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) analysed the IGN data and confirmed the earthquake.

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Shortly before that, there had been an earthquake measuring 3.0 on the Richter scale. About an hour after the first quake, a tremor measuring 2.6 on the Richter scale followed in the same area. These three tremors stand out from the series of recent earthquakes. According to IGN data, there were 57 tremors in and around the Canary Islands within 30 days. This equated to 1.9 tremors per day, with an average magnitude of 1.9. Over the past seven days, the monitoring networks recorded eleven tremors. This figure is considered normal.

The Canary Islands are of volcanic origin, and minor tremors are a normal occurrence there. The IGN and the Canary Islands Volcanological Institute (Involcan) monitor the subsurface on an ongoing basis. According to experts, individual earthquakes or earthquake swarms do not automatically indicate an increased risk. However, activity around Mount Teide has recently been higher than usual. Tenerife’s Island Council has responded by announcing two emergency drills.

Mount Teide: Tenerife to conduct emergency drills in October

One of the two emergency drills for a Mount Teide eruption is scheduled for 22 October and will involve a mass evacuation in Guía de Isora. This is in response to the recent swarms of earthquakes on Spain’s highest mountain. «We expect there to be further swarms and that some earthquakes will be felt,» said Itahiza Domínguez, head of the IGN branch in the Canary Islands, recently.

Seismographs have also recently recorded activity outside the area around Tenerife: a few weeks ago, there was a 2.0-magnitude earthquake at the Enmedio undersea volcano between Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Near El Hierro, the IGN reported a tremor measuring 2.5 on the magnitude scale. Experts regard all of this, as well as the most recent, slightly stronger earthquake, as normal seismic activity in the Canary Islands.