Does Gran Canaria have earthquakes?

The area with the highest seismic activity in the Canary Islands, not directly related to volcanic activity, is located in the channel between the islands of Gran Canaria and Tenerife. In this zone a continuous amount of earthquakes is concentrated located since seismic instrumentation is deployed.



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Geology and tectonics of the Canary Islands. The area of the Canary Islands is a zone of moderate seismicity, with earthquakes that, in general, do not exceed 5.5 degrees of magnitude. In many cases, it is a question of seismicity associated with volcanic reactivations, which may or may not end in an eruption.

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In addition, the largest earthquakes in the archipelago occur in this area. “In 1989 one of magnitude 5.2 was registered that was widely felt in Gran Canaria and Tenerife.

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The tsunami was recorded by tide gauges in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Santa Cruz de La Palma, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Arrecife in Lanzarote.

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The Canary Islands region is still volcanically active. The most recent volcanic eruption on land occurred in 2021 and the most recent underwater eruption was in 2011-12.

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North of the island faces greatest risk of eruption One of the most heavily populated areas in the north east of the island has experienced the highest level of volcanic activity over the past 11,000 years, and it is therefore likely that this volcanic activity will continue in future.

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If you intend to travel to another island: You can travel to Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Graciosa, Fuerteventura, Tenerife, La Gomera or El Hierro with total peace of mind. The rest of the Canary Islands were not affected by the eruption of the volcano on La Palma.

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The island of La Palma in the Canary Islands is at risk of undergoing a large landslide, which could cause a tsunami in the Atlantic Ocean.

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The Canary Islands are located in an active seismic zone and have several volcanoes. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. In 2021, the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the island of La Palma caused widespread damage. During a volcanic eruption, ash can disrupt air travel.

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Sismicity of Canary Islands Nowadays there are about 400-500 earthquakes per year in this zone, of which between 5 and 7 are of magnitude bigger than 2.5. The seismicity is produced at depths between 0 and 40 km.

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The recurrence rate of similar collapses is extremely low, about one every 100,000 years or less in the case of the Canary Islands. Other volcanoes across the world are at risk of causing such tsunamis.

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Are there mosquitoes in Gran Canaria? Yes – no risk of diseases. Hot sun all year round has one downside – winter is never cold enough to get rid of mosquitoes! These mosquitoes are most active in the evening.

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The island of La Palma in the Canary Islands is at risk of undergoing a large landslide, which could cause a tsunami in the Atlantic Ocean. Volcanic islands and volcanoes on land frequently undergo large landslides/collapses, which have been documented in Hawaii for example.

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