Tenerife volcano latest news – will Mount Teide erupt and how many earthquakes have struck the Canary Island?
Volcano on popular Canary Island holiday hotspot is a source of small tremors that experts beleive could be a sign it is waking from a dormant state
MOUNT Teide is a volcano that formed on the holiday island of Tenerife.
It has been the source of small but rapid subterranean tremors that experts believe could be a sign that it is preparing to erupt — here's what we know.
Where is Mount Teide and could it erupt?
Mount Teide is located in a national park and is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site visited by millions every year.
More than 20 1.4 Richter quakes struck the island between October 28 and October 31 2017, which experts at the Volcanological Institute of the Canary Islands (Involcan) say could signal the volcano has woken from its dormant state.
The earthquake tremors clustered around Vilaflor in southern Tenerife, at an average depth of 6-8 km below sea level.
In a bid to calm locals, experts from Involcan said on Facebook: "This swarm is similar to the other seismic swarms recorded in Tenerife in June and as always it is important to emphasise, it does not represent any kind of concern for the population."
The scientists noted that the characteristics of the earthquakes reflected a relationship with the hydro-thermal system, which has "undergone a pressurisation process".
As concerned islanders ask for evacuation plans to be drawn up in preparation here is what we know about the volcano and whether or not its about to blow.
How many earthquakes have struck the Canary Island?
In October 2016, 92 microquakes in Adeje and Vilaflor were reported — with one measuring as high as 1.5 on the Richter scale.
Experts sent to the area recorded an "abnormal" amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere — which was believed to be an indicator that the volcano could blow imminently.
Involcan said at the time: “We are registering an important seismic rally on the island of Tenerife.
“In principle, these earthquakes are very low magnitude, consistent with those that occur in active volcanoes.
“The number of earthquakes is provisional pending the analysis of the signals more closely, but we can qualify this activity as a seismic swarm whose pattern is an alignment with prevailing direction northeast to southwest ".
Mount Teide hasn't erupted since 1909 but its fragile formation means that it is highly unstable.
Many will remember the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland, the major volcano disturbance caused a giant ash cloud which affected the plans of over 10 million travellers.
Concerned residents have voiced their fears to Involcan, suggesting that an evacuation plan should be put in place immediately.
Lucrecia Mesa González said: “And I wonder from my ignorance, are there any evacuation plans if necessary?"
The collection of Spanish islands off the southern coast of Morocco were all formed by volcanic activity.
As an active, but dormant volcano, Mount Teide could erupt again and the lack of stability around the island has prompted some seismologists to suggest an eruption could cause a megatsunami that could hit the eastern United States.
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