BRITISH tabloid headlines warning of volcanic eruptions in Tenerife – illustrated with a picture of lava spilling from a crater in Hawaii – have annoyed Spanish geologists and tourism industry workers.
The front page of the Sunday Express reads: “Tenerife volcano alert: Shock as 270 earthquakes hit Brit holiday favourite Canary Islands.”
And in The Sun, a headline reads: “The Big One coming? Volcano fears for Brit tourists after 270 earthquakes strike near holiday hotspots Tenerife and Gran Canaria in past 10 days.”
A photograph in the Express article shows the Kilauea erupting in Hawaii, but refers to the Teide – a dormant volcano at the centre of one of the Canary Islands' most famous national parks, which has not erupted in well over a century and is visited by hordes of tourists daily, who walk into the crater as part of their visit.
And the connection between Canary Island earthquakes and a possible Teide eruption is nonsense, says expert David Calvo from the Canarian Institute of Vulcanology.
“What has happened is that the last few days has seen what we call a 'sismic swarm', or a string of very minor earthquakes in a short period of time – and in a volcanic region such as the Canary Islands, this is completely normal,” Calvo explains.
The Canary Islands, along with the south-eastern part of mainland Spain, regularly suffer earthquakes which are so minor that they are never felt – the few that are, which reach around 2 or 3 on the Richter scale, only produce a split-second movement that feels like a heavy lorry passing at speed and cause no damage, except to precariously-placed ornaments.
Occasionally, a quake of 4 or 4.5 on the Richter scale will hit the headlines, but injuries and damage are still unlikely, and these mainly serve as anecdote fodder.
Many British residents in these parts of the mainland and Canaries say they have lived in their towns for over 15 or 20 years and never felt an earthquake.
South-eastern Spain sits on a fault line, but the Canary Islands is volcanic, meaning minor and usually unnoticed earth tremors happen almost daily.
Iceland, another volcanic region, suffers an average of 20 earthquakes a day, but they are practically never felt and go unreported – very few, if any, tourists to the northern European nation ever report feeling an earthquake during their stay.
“The Teide is not going to erupt,” states Calvo.
He says early warning signs would be noticed, and none are present.
The last time the Teide erupted was in 1909, or 109 years ago, meaning it is considered 'dormant'.
Hotel bosses have also complained about the Express and Sun headlines, which they fear will put British holidaymakers off travelling to the Canary Islands.
“What interests could these tabloids have in spreading completely false information like this?” One hotel industry spokesperson asks.
Around 30% of foreign tourists visiting the Canary Islands every year are British, meaning the eruption of 'fake news' painting a negative view of their safety in the region could be extremely damaging to the industry and to jobs.
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