The Canary Islands have been rattled by a staggering 30 earthquakes in 48 hours, according to the National Geographic Institute (IGN).
The quakes were sparked by eruptions from an underwater volcano, the summit of which is just 500 metres below sea level.
The Enmedio volcano is found between Tenerife and Gran Canaria and went off 30 times between September 12 and 14. It also went off 39 times between September 7 and 12.
The strongest earthquake was measured on September 12 – a 3.6 magnitude tremor recorded in the early hours of the morning.
These tremors are commonplace, but not at the frequency that they’ve recently been recorded.
Moreover, the eruptions and subsequent earthquakes are unlikely to cause any impact on the Canary Islands themselves.
According to the Volcanological Institute of the Canary Islands (Involcan): “The probability of an earthquake in the area of the Enmedio volcano reaching a magnitude sufficient to cause damage is very low.”
Eruptions on the islands themselves have been recorded in the last few years.
Most recently, lava spewed out of the Cumbre Vieja volcanic ridge on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands, between September 19 and December 13, 2021.
That eruption lasted for 85 days and nobody was killed. However, more than 1,000 homes were destroyed, along with 43 miles of roads.
