The Restless Volcano at the Heart of the Canary Islands

Last
week,
the
Canary
Islands
experienced
tremors
once
more.
While
seismic
activity
is
a
commonplace
occurrence
in
locations
such
as
these,
the
fact
that
it
was
felt
by
a
segment
of
the
island’s
inhabitants
(notably
in
Gran
Canaria)
has
drawn
attention
to
an
old
acquaintance
of
the
Canaries.
This
old
friend
has
been
known
since
a
German
scientific
expedition
first
identified
its
existence
in
the
1980s,
located
near
the
geographical
heart
of
the
Archipelago.
As
you
may
guess,
we
are
referring
to
the
Enmedio
volcano,
a
name
that
still
commands
respect
among
the
residents
of
Tenerife,
who
in
May
1989
experienced
significant
building
movements
(particularly
in
Candelaria
and
the
metropolitan
area)
due
to
another
quake,
the
epicentre
of
which
the
National
Geological
Institute
pinpointed
near
this
volcano.
Enmedio,
a
seamount,
presents
a
staggering
base
that
measures
almost
three
kilometres
in
diameter
and
currently
shows
no
signs
of
eruptive
activity,
as
confirmed
by
a
study
in
2015
led
by
the
Spanish
Institute
of
Oceanography
(IEO)
in
conjunction
with
the
two
public
universities
of
the
Canary
Islands
and
the
Museum
of
Nature
and
Man.
It
is
now
established
with
certainty
that
its
coordinates
are
28º
05′
24”
N
and
16º
10′
1.4”
W,
which
explains
the
origin
of
its
name.

A
colossal
base

The
impressive
base
is
undeniably
the
most
captivating
aspect
of
Enmedio,
as
IEO
scientist
Eugenio
Fraile,
who
led
the
2015
expedition,
elaborated
at
the
time:
“The
base
of
the
Enmedio
Volcano
could
accommodate
539
football
pitches,”
Fraile
remarked
during
a
telephone
conversation
with
DIARIO
DE
AVISOS
from
the
ship
Ángeles
Alvariño,
whose
crew
has
earned
a
cherished
place
in
the
hearts
of
the
Canarians
for
both
this
and
other
invaluable
contributions
to
island
society.
Having
once
again
led
the
scientific
expedition
conducted
in
2022,
Fraile
stated
nearly
a
decade
ago
that
Enmedio
is
a
volcanic
structure
with
a
summit
depth
of
1,630
metres
and
a
base
depth
of
2,100
metres,
reaching
a
maximum
elevation
of
470
metres.
Additionally,
just
500
metres
southwest
of
the
main
structure,
two
secondary
cones
can
be
seen,
each
not
exceeding
100
metres
above
the
ocean
floor.
However,
the
latest
expedition
provided
a
more
nuanced
comprehension
of
the
volcano’s
physical
characteristics,
enabling
a
high-resolution
three-dimensional
reproduction,
alongside
revealing
signs
of
hydrothermal
sources
in
the
surrounding
area.
Regardless,
even
if
hydrothermal
activity
was
confirmed,
it
would
not
imply
that
Enmedio
is
an
active
volcano,
being
a
separate
process—an
apt
comparison
can
be
drawn
with
the
ongoing
activities
observed
in
Timanfaya
(Lanzarote).
Thanks
to
the
Acanvol
website
(Canarian
Volcanology
Association),
we
can
recall
that
the
volcano
was
first
identified
at
the
close
of
the
1980s
by
the
German
oceanographic
vessel
Meteor.
Still,
it
was
the
IEO
ship
Hespérides
that
created
the
first
map
in
the
late
1990s,
presenting
some
data
that
the
bathymetry
completed
in
2015
has
allowed
to
be
refined
in
certain
instances,
while
the
most
recent
expedition
(also
with
Ángeles
Alvariño)
has
enhanced
our
knowledge
further.
What
is
clear
is
that
Enmedio
predates
our
presence,
likely
forming
around
two
million
years
ago
during
the
Quaternary
period.