Ten earthquakes rattle waters off Tenerife, says IGN: "They are tectonic"

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Off the north coast of Tenerife, the IGN has recorded ten earthquakes since Wednesday afternoon.
The strongest earthquake measured 3.6 on the Richter scale. Local residents felt at least two of the earthquakes.
The IGN classifies the earthquakes as tectonic and sees no link to activity on Mount Teide.

A series of earthquakes have been shaking the area off the north coast of Tenerife. Since Wednesday afternoon, ten earthquakes have already been recorded around 30 kilometres north of Punta del Hidalgo. The strongest tremor measured 3.6 on the Richter scale.

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Earthquakes with a magnitude of 3 or higher can be felt by people. The first earthquake reached this magnitude, and another shortly afterwards even reached a magnitude of 3.6. Since then, the area in the north of the largest of the Canary Islands has not settled down. Researchers at the National Geographic Institute (IGN) reported ten earthquakes in the same region by Thursday.

At 5.57 pm on Wednesday, the earth shook for the first time. Teneriffa News was the first to report the tremor. Just an hour later, there had already been three earthquakes. The IGN has since confirmed the origin of the tremors.

Earthquakes off Tenerife «are tectonic»

According to the IGN, «frequent seismic activity» in this area is rather rare, but «there have been earthquakes there from time to time in the past», said the IGN director for the Canary Islands, Iahiza Domínguez. «The entire Canary Islands region is prone to earthquakes from time to time,» the scientist added.

Residents living around the Anaga Mountains felt at least two of the earthquakes. The authorities received several calls from concerned members of the public. The authorities, in turn, were awaiting the IGN’s assessment. The IGN stated: «It appears that the earthquakes were of tectonic origin.» In other words: according to experts, the tremors were triggered by the sudden release of stress in the Earth’s crust. Worldwide, around nine out of ten earthquakes are considered to be tectonically triggered.

In Tenerife in particular, and in the surrounding area, earthquakes are often linked to Mount Teide. Spain’s highest mountain is still an active volcano. Numerous earthquake swarms have recently been reported beneath Mount Teide. However, according to the IGN, the most recent episode has «no connection with this volcanic seismic activity».