Although experts see no signs of an eruption, they insist that it must be monitored closely.

Over the past few years, and especially this past week, Teide has been attracting the attention of experts and locals alike. The reason is that this dormant giant has been showing signs of activity for a few years. Activity, which, these same experts point out, should not lead us to think that an eruption could be near.

“Anomalous” activity. The scientific team in charge of monitoring the state of Teide has detected some “slight” changes to this one. This is an increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and a deformation of the land. The information emerged after the meeting last week of the scientific committee of the special civil protection plan for volcanic risk in the Canary Islands (Pevolca).

No risk in the short or medium term. The team emphasize that this does not imply an imminent eruption, not even close. For this reason, they clarify, it is not necessary to move to the yellow seismological risk alert level.

“It is important that people understand that this is not the situation we experienced on La Palma before the eruption,” explained Itahiza Domínguez, director of the National Geographic Institute (IGN) in the Canary Islands, in statements collected by the agency EFE.

Precursors. For now, Teide has not given the type of signs of activity that could be linked to the arrival of an eruption. As explained by the IGN itself, basaltic-type eruptions such as the one that would be expected in this volcano are preceded by “very strong” precursors of seismicity: the deformations of the terrain and the emission of gases would be accompanied by intense earthquakes and swarms. “very dense” of seismic activity.

Domínguez recalls that the island of Tenerife is “volcanically active”, which implies that an eruption is possible at some point in the future, but we still do not have any signal that tells us when it could occur.

Since 2016. The observed rebound in the island’s geological activity it’s not entirely new. Starting in 2016, the experts who monitor this activity began to observe an increase in the volume of CO2 expelled by Teide accompanied by an increase in the microseismicity of the environment.

Nemesio Pérez, director of the Canary Islands Volcanological Institute (Involcan), spoke of “significant changes” that have occurred in the last eight years. Clarify, however, that this does not mean that they are changes towards an eruption.”

More surveillance. Last week’s meeting served to emphasize the need to reinforce surveillance of the volcano under the highest peak of the Canary archipelago (and the rest of the country). “We do not see a magma movement per se, but we must monitor it,” Domínguez pointed out to EFE.

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Image | Jordi Martos