Over 1'000 Seismic activities recorded on El Hierro

 

Over the last few weeks the smallest of the Canary Islands - El Hierro - has experienced over 1'000 'seismic activities'.

The activity peaked yesterday with 700 such activities, which have registered magnitudes of between 1.0 and 2.0, with the majority being recorded at depths of between 9km and 16km, however a few isolated activities were registered at just 4km.

This activity may suggest the movement of Magma underneath the Island's Volcano, but it does not necessarily indicate that there is an imminent eruption as much of the magma and gasses produced at these depths never reach the surface.

The Island, which has a population of 10'000, is the most 'Volcanically active' of the Canary Islands and has over 500 'Open Sky Volcano cones'. However, there has only ever been one recorded eruption of the largest 'Volcan de Lomo Negro'. That was in 1794 and the subsequent eruption lasted over 1 month.

The Canary Island's Directorate General of Security and Emergency in Tenerife is said to be monitoring the situation.