The president of the Tenerife Cabildo, Pedro Martín, has called a meeting with the Canary Islands Volcanological Institute (INVOLCAN), and representatives from several different municipalities, to increase volcanic surveillance in Tenerife after a swarm of seismic activity detected over the last few weeks.
In June, IGN (National Geographic Institute) and INVOLCAN recorded a seismic swarm of ‘hybrid events’ of very low magnitude in Cañadas del Teide, which is southwest of Pico Viejo, in which 458 tremors were detected, of which 13 were classed as significant because they were of greater magnitude.
However, a further 300 were recorded last Thursday (July 12th) in a 2-hour and 20-minute time period, with five earthquakes detected. So far, the highest magnitude reached has been 1.6 at a depth of 13 kilometres.
None of the tremors or earthquakes have been felt by the public, and the increase in surveillance is precautionary to learn more about the movements and living on an active volcano.
These 'seismic swarms' have characteristics very similar to those recorded on October 2nd 2016 and June 14th 2019, and volcanologists say that the most likely origin is the movement of fluids such as steam, gas or water inside the hydrothermal system of the volcano.
