canary islands 314 low magnitude tremors one week

314 low-magnitude tremors recorded in Canary Islands in one week

Three hundred and fourteen tremors in seven days

The Canary Seismic Network has registered 314 low-magnitude earthquakes over the past week, according to the weekly Guayota report from the Canary Islands Volcanological Institute (Involcan). The largest, measuring 4.6, is linked to a tremor that occurred last Friday, 22 May, located around 60 kilometres north of Gran Canaria.

The total seismic energy released across the archipelago during the past week amounted to 151.42 gigajoules. These tremors were mainly concentrated in Tenerife, Gran Canaria and La Palma.

Low-level activity continues on La Palma

On La Palma, low-magnitude seismicity continues, though Involcan notes it remains well below the levels observed during the 2021 eruption. The Canary Islands are also characterised by moderate tectonic activity; consequently, some earthquakes have been recorded along active seismic faults, including the one located between Tenerife and Gran Canaria.

Ground deformation and gas emissions

Regarding ground deformation, Involcan states that no significant changes were observed on any island during the past week. As for gas emissions, excluding the areas of La Bombilla and Puerto Naos, abnormal carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions continue to be recorded.

The Canary Geochemical Network reports that the highest diffuse volcanic gas emission values are being recorded on Tenerife, where a pressurisation process of the volcano-hydrothermal system has been ongoing since 2016. This is considered a normal process in volcanic systems over the short and medium term.

Volcanic traffic lights: green for most, yellow for La Palma

Currently, the volcanic traffic lights for Tenerife, El Hierro, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria are at green status, meaning residents and visitors on these islands can go about their activities with complete normality.

However, more than four years after the eruption on La Palma concluded, the geophysical and geochemical parameters have still not returned to normal. Therefore, the island’s volcanic traffic light remains at yellow. This means residents and visitors must continue to pay attention to communications from the civil protection authorities.

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