5.4 magnitude earthquake shakes Canary Islands: one of the largest tremors ever

[BabaRa]

December 27, 2013 � CANARY ISLANDS � Something is going on under El Hierro, and recent events suggest this time things could be dramatically different. Two years after a new underwater volcano appeared offshore of El Hierro in the Canary Islands, earthquake swarms and a sudden change in height suggest a new eruption is brewing near the island�s villages, officials announced today (Dec. 27). After the announcement, one of the largest temblors ever recorded at the volcanic island, a magnitude-5.4 earthquake, struck offshore of El Hierro at 12:46 p.m. ET (5:46 p.m. local time) today, the National Geographic Institute reported. Residents on the island reported strong shaking, and the quake was felt throughout the Canary Islands, according to news reports. The earthquake�s epicenter was 13 miles (22 kilometers) deep. Before the earthquake struck early this afternoon, the island�s volcano monitoring agency, Pelvolca, had raised the volcanic eruption risk for El Hierro to �yellow.� This warning means that activity is increasing at the volcano, but no eruption is imminent. A similar burst of activity prompted a yellow warning in June 2012, but the volcano soon quieted down.

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