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After weeks of heightened attention around Mount Teide, in Tenerife,  the latest review of seismic data has revealed that the recent swarm was far more intense than first thought.

 

More than 1,400 small earthquakes were recorded between 6.00pm on Monday and 8.00am on Tuesday in the area of Las Cañadas del Teide, almost double the 755 initially identified. The updated figure follows a detailed reanalysis of the signals captured by monitoring stations, many of which were so weak they could not be clearly distinguished in real time.

 

The tremors, described as hybrid events, occurred at depths of seven to eight kilometres beneath the surface. Scientists say this is now the eighth such episode in the same area since 2016. Similar swarms have been occurring intermittently over the past decade, including one just a couple of weeks ago.

 

Despite the sharp increase in recorded activity, experts are clear that there is no indication of an imminent eruption. Involcan has stated that the swarm “does not imply any changes in the probability of a short or medium term eruption in Tenerife.” The leading explanation remains a pressurisation process within the island’s hydrothermal system, driven by gas injection rather than magma rising towards the surface.

 

Volcanologist Stavros Meletlidis of the National Geographic Institute said on Wednesday, “It’s the same type of activity as in recent days,” adding that while activity has increased, it is impossible to predict if or when an eruption might occur.

 

Tenerife Cabildo president Rosa Dávila struck a reassuring tone. “The island is better prepared than ever for its own volcanic risk,” she said, stressing that Teide is under constant surveillance. She described it as “the most closely monitored volcano in the world”, supported by an extensive network of instruments, including newly acquired quantum gravimeters capable of detecting even subtle underground changes.

 

A new meeting of the Pevolca scientific committee is taking place on Thursday to assess the latest signals. Dávila also confirmed that coordination with Ayuntamientos continues, with emergency and self-protection plans being updated across the island.

 

For residents who may remember the recent spike of 92 tremors in two days, which prompted understandable concern earlier this year, scientists again emphasise that increased seismic noise does not automatically signal an eruption.

 

For now, the message remains calm but vigilant. Teide is active, closely watched and, according to officials, under careful and continuous scrutiny.

 

 

Image: miSebastian/Pixabay