This past month, on January 29, 2024, an earthquake of intensity 3,6 occurred in Maspalomas in Tirajana, just 25 kilometers deep. The tremor has caught the attention of experts because it was very close to another one from October 2023 in Mogán.
The south of Gran Canaria, like the rest of the Canary Islands, is located in an area of moderate seismic activity. The island sits on an active tectonic plate, which generates regular tremors.
In 1913, the strongest earthquake recorded in the southern area of Gran Canaria occurred on February 19, 1913, with a maximum intensity of VI on the European macroseismic scale (EMS). It was located north of Ingenio and had an estimated magnitude of 4,6. It was in 1949 when an earthquake of magnitude 4,3 occurred south of Maspalomas, with a maximum intensity of IV in the EMS.
Later in 1973, a magnitude 4,0 earthquake was felt in the San Bartolomé de Tirajana area, with a maximum intensity of IV in the EMS. While in 2001 an earthquake of magnitude 3,8 was located southwest of Santa Lucía de Tirajana, with a maximum intensity of III in the EMS.
Already in 2023 on October 17, 2023, a magnitude 3,2 earthquake occurred south of Mogán, with a maximum intensity of III in the EMS. Throughout history, numerous smaller earthquakes have occurred in the south of Gran Canaria, many of them imperceptible to the population.
Most earthquakes on the island originate at relatively shallow depths, increasing their potential to cause damage.
