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Magnitude 4.8 Earthquake Shakes Canary Islands: Strongest in Five Years

The seismic event, with its epicenter at sea off Gran Canaria, was felt across three islands without causing significant damage.

Aerial view of the ocean floor near the Canary Islands, showing geological formations.
IA

Aerial view of the ocean floor near the Canary Islands, showing geological formations.

An unusual magnitude 4.8 earthquake on the Richter scale caused alarm in the Canary Islands yesterday morning, being felt on three islands and classified as the strongest in the last five years.

A seismic event of magnitude 4.8 on the Richter scale occurred yesterday in the Canary Islands, clearly felt on Gran Canaria, Tenerife, and Fuerteventura. The tremor, which took place at 9:50 AM, stands as the most significant seismic activity in the Archipelago over the past five years. Despite its intensity, authorities confirmed no structural damage or serious personal injuries, although it did cause surprise and concern among the population.
The National Geographic Institute (IGN) located the epicenter in oceanic waters, approximately 61 kilometers off the northern coast of Gran Canaria, with a focal depth of 30 kilometers. IGN experts highlighted the unusual nature of this location, as it is not an area of high seismic recurrence compared to other regions like the Enmedio volcano.
IGN scientists ruled out any connection to magmatic processes or volcanic activity, classifying the tremor as purely tectonic, resulting from regional stresses and faults. Following the main quake, three smaller aftershocks (magnitudes 3.3, 2.5, and 2.4) were recorded but were not felt by residents.
The earthquake's effects were most pronounced on Gran Canaria, with reports from over thirty municipalities, including Gáldar, Telde, Agüimes, and neighborhoods of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. In Fuerteventura, alerts mainly came from Puerto del Rosario and Pájara. On Tenerife, the tremor was distinctly felt in the metropolitan area, particularly in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and San Cristóbal de La Laguna, as well as in towns in the north and southwest of the island.
Canary Islands' seismic history underscores the exceptional nature of this event. The last comparable seismic movement in the province of Las Palmas occurred in 2022, adding to the significant events of 2011 and 2021. The absolute record in instrumental modern history remains the 1989 earthquake (magnitude 5.3), closely associated with the Enmedio volcano.
Concurrently, the IGN detected 63 micro-earthquakes west of Las Cañadas del Teide, classified as hybrid events with low frequency and a maximum magnitude of 1.4. These tremors, with focal depths between 7 and 25 km, are imperceptible to the public and do not increase the risk of volcanic eruption in Tenerife.

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