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.
