Current Reports of volcanic unrest in the Canary Islands

Introduction

The Canary Islands have had a lot of volcanic activity over millions of years, and some of the islands are still active today; therefore, there will likely be another eruption at some point, but it is near-impossible to predict exactly when, where, or how big it will be. Scientists closely watch the volcanoes to understand their normal “background” activity so that they can identify when unusual volcanic behaviour might indicate that an eruption could be on the way. On this page we describe who monitors volcanic activity and participates in emergency response with a timeline of the main episode of unrest in the last 20 years.

Current status of each island

VTL - Current volcanic traffic level by Ajay Geotenerife

For an explanation of Traffic Light System, click here

Most recent report

A summarised version of the most recent report available through the IGN seismic catalogue, relevant social media, and news articles. You can find a comprehensive timeline at the bottom of this page.

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  • Volcanic eruption drill

    🇬🇧 In Tenerife we have been working on a serious, real and useful volcanic safety plan for two years.

     From 23 to 26 September we will do something historic:

    • An unprecedented volcanic eruption drill in Spain.

    • Emergency teams, scientists, volunteers and all municipalities will participate.

    On Thursday 26th, at 9.00h, you will receive a test alert message on your mobile. It’s just a test. There is no emergency.

    We want you to know:

    • How to act

    • Where to go out

    • Where to meet

    • How to prepare your backpack

    • What to do with your pets

    • Who to listen to and where to inform

      Because when we know what to do, everything is easier.

    🇪🇸 🇮🇨 En Tenerife llevamos dos años trabajando en un plan de seguridad volcánica serio, real y útil.
    Del 23 al 26 de septiembre haremos algo histórico:

    • Un simulacro sobre erupción volcánica que no tiene precedentes en España.

    • Participarán equipos de emergencia, científicos, voluntarios y todos los municipios.

    El jueves 26, a las 9.00 h, recibirás un mensaje de alerta de prueba en tu móvil. Es solo una prueba. No hay emergencia.

    Queremos que sepas:

    • Cómo actuar.

    • Por dónde salir.

    • Dónde reunirte.

    • Cómo preparar tu mochila.

    • Qué hacer con tus mascotas.

    • A quién escuchar y dónde informarte.

    Porque cuando sabemos qué hacer, todo es más fácil.

    @rosa_davilamamely

IGN Earthquake visualiser

The colours in this interactive map do NOT correspond to the Volcanic traffic level above. The most recent earthquake is within the flashing red circle. Yellow circles are earthquakes with a magnitude less than 2, orange between 2-3, red between 3-4, and dark red is a magnitude of more than 4. IGN Spain uses the mbLg, which measures the body wave magnitude, uses a logarithmic scale, and this scale is suited for measuring earthquakes close to their epicentre.

Timeline of volcanic unrest

Drag the timeline along to see previous updates

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Volcanic Unrest Forum

Who is Who? by Geotenerife

It is important to refer to official sites for information in an emergency. The main sites to find information around volcanic unrest are:

Twitter accounts of the Islands’ Cabildos:

Cabildo de Lanzarote

Cabildo de El Hierro

Cabildo de La Palma

Cabildo de Tenerife

Other groups also covering volcanic unrest: