Tenerife not set to erupt

Mount Teide

The media (most notably The Sun) recently reported that Mount Teide was due to erupt, following a report from the CSIS Higher Council for Scientific Learning. The scientist Alicia Garcia reported findings that Tenerife could be vunerable to an explosive eruption.

Alicia said that "Tenerife is our great worry and problem. The Canary Islands have become very vulnerable because of the high level of tourism."

Media outlets compounded this story by running with it, further confusing the matter.

The Cabildo de Tenerife (Tenerife's Government) issued a statement:

"Mount Teide is a dormant volcano and shows no signs of volcanic activity according to ITER; (the institute that manages volcanic surveillance and which is a member of WOVO, World Organisation of Volcanic Observatories)).

In addition, neither the Scientific Volcanic Evaluation and Monitor Committee (Comite Cientifico de Evaluacion y Seguimiento de Fenomenos Volcanicos), a national commission that evaluates volcanic activity in Spain, nor the IGN (National Geographic Institute), a public organisation responsible for the observation, surveillance and communication of volcanic activity, have sent a warning of volcanic activity in Teide to the authorities responsible for civil protection on the island. We therefore must highlight that the volcanic situation in Tenerife remains normal, as there is no indication of any volcanic risk.

The Cabildo would like to stress that Tenerife remains a safe destination, not only because there is currently no evidence of any risk of volcanic activity, but also because the island is equipped to deal with any volcanic risk situation (evacuation, volcanic surveillance and monitoring programme, etc.)."

Richard Melchior, the president of the Cabildo, has also written an official letter of complaint to the CSIS, specifically regarding the information released by scientits that could lead to Tenerife being viewed as an unsafe destination.