Four earthquakes have been recorded just northeast of Tenerife, including one of 3.6 magnitude that was felt by residents in La Laguna, according to reports from the National Geographic Institute (IGN).
The series of seismic movements was detected yesterday, Wednesday 26th August, with magnitudes ranging from 2.3 to 3.6 on the Richter scale.
The strongest earthquake occurred at 6:37pm at a depth of approximately 34 kilometres and was strong enough to be felt by members of the public in La Laguna.
No damage or injuries have been reported.
Four earthquakes recorded
According to information published by the IGN, two of the other earthquakes occurred at depths of 35 and 36 kilometres, registering magnitudes of 3.0 and 2.3 respectively.
The fourth earthquake was considerably shallower, occurring at a depth of approximately 16 kilometres, with a magnitude of 2.8 on the Richter scale.
All four were located in waters to the northeast of Tenerife.
Tectonic rather than volcanic activity
The seismic activity is noteworthy because, according to the IGN, this particular area does not normally experience a high number of earthquakes.
However, experts say the location and depth of the tremors indicate that the series is most likely associated with tectonic activity rather than volcanic activity.
The Canary Islands experience regular seismic activity because of their volcanic and geological setting, and many small earthquakes are detected by monitoring equipment without being felt by the population.
In this case, however, the magnitude 3.6 earthquake was strong enough for residents in parts of Tenerife to notice the movement.
The IGN continuously monitors seismic activity throughout the Canary Islands, including both tectonic earthquakes and activity associated with the Archipelago's volcanic systems.
