The director of the National Geographic Institute (IGN) in the Canary Islands, Itahiza Domínguez, has indicated that the seismic activity "has been gradually subsiding," but "it has not stopped entirely," and there is a possibility it could intensify. So far, more than 660 earthquakes have been recorded, with over 100 being located.
This episode of seismic activity follows three other swarms reported since mid-June, two of which were smaller and the current one, which is "a little bit bigger." The expert recalled that the last similar episode, although "very intense," occurred in February, with seven swarms in two weeks.
Domínguez explains that these events, with a magnitude below 1.5, are not felt by the population and usually last a few hours. The current situation indicates a higher level of volcanic activity than last year, although "we don't know if this will continue for a long time or if it will disappear," making monitoring essential.
The IGN has ruled out the risk of an eruption in the short or medium term, although the level of activity is higher. Domínguez clarifies that an eruption would require "stronger signals, stronger earthquakes, rapid deformations of several centimeters per day," which is not being observed.
The latest detected earthquakes are concentrated in the same area, west of Las Cañadas del Teide, at a depth of between 10 and 15 kilometers, a characteristic that has not changed.
