Those ever accurate bastions of truth, the English tabloid press, have once again fueled fears in England of a volcanic eruption on Tenerife’s Mount Teide, potentially ruining everyone’s holidays, after a ‘journalist’ first read and quoted something here on The Canary News.
A seismic swarm registered on the island in recent weeks has apparently created more alarm in the British newspapers than even here on the islands. Several tabloids in the United Kingdom have shown seemingly deep and sincere concern about the episode that shook the archipelago last week, despite no islander having felt a thing, even suggesting that, according to their experts, this could trigger an almighty explosion from Spain’s tallest mountain, the still active volcano in the middle of Tenerife.
“A seismic swarm of 270 mini-earthquakes have shaken the Canary Islands over the past 10 days, leading to concerns Tenerife’s Mount Teide may be due to erupt.” – Mail Online
According to publications like the Daily Mail and Daily Express, long the choice read of discerning thinkers and multiculturalists everywhere, “The earthquakes have sparked panic across the Canary Islands as an increase in activity could be sign Tenerife’s Mount Teide could be set to erupt.”
According the Brits, widespread fear has been caused by so many “surprise earthquakes in only 10 days” leading islanders to wonder if they should be preparing for a “mega-eruption” on Teide.
The articles, accompanied by photographic montages of lava flows and unsuspecting tourists on beaches, and infographics of the swarm data, highlight the suggestion that “the Spanish island, a popular holiday destination among the British, has been shaken by a flurry of seismic activity since April 29”.
However, on balance, the publications then do detail, later in spite of their sensational headlines, that the investigations so far carried out suggest that the earthquakes are in fact being caused by a submarine fault, in the channel between the two islands of Gran Canaria and Tenerife and so nobly testify that “Researchers have quelled fears that the volcano is about to explode and insist that the tremors are part of the normal seismic activity of the islands.” pointing out also that the largest of them reached a magnitude of 3.2 on the Richter scale about 22 miles (35 km) from Puerto La Luz, Port of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Tourism
This not the first time that the alarm has been raised in Europe for a possible volcanic eruption on the island. Headlines like “Pánic in Tenerife” or “Volcanic Alert” have decorated the front pages of many of the most sensationalist British newspapers who seem to have special interest in the potential for an eruption from the Tenerife volcano.
In 2016, micro-seismic events registered on Tenerife became an “alarming and frightening” situation according to the publications informing the public of the United Kingdom. The Sun even included a section entitled “Your rights”, to solve any doubts readers may have had regarding flight tickets to Tenerife already purchased. “If the volcano erupts, can I cancel my vacation and get my money back?” the newspaper printed. The tabloid Daily Star also warned two years ago that “the huge volcano in the Canary Islands can erupt” and start “spitting lava” in as little as “just four hours.”
Source: La Provincia
Editor’s comment:
As proud as we are to be followed and read by the journalists of Great Britain, we’re not sure how helpful their conclusions are for those readers who might be too easily swayed by their headlines to bother reading the rest of the content for accuracy.
Nevertheless, we are happy to play our part in informing the writing classes, by reporting verified news from trusted sources here on the islands. Besides, everybody in-the-know is already aware that Tenerife and Mount Teide can be clearly seen from the coasts and the peaks of Gran Canaria, from Arguineguín and along the southwest Costa Mogán, all the way up the West Coast to Agaete and even from the beaches of the northern capital of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria… so perhaps, for safety’s sake and to ensure the best possible holiday, it would be best after all to view any future eruptions from this island instead of that one. Let´s face it, you can´t be too careful, and factor 50 just isn’t going to help when standing under a volcanic lava shower.
Our advice, visit Gran Canaria for the very best views of the impending apocalypse…. 🙂
