Integrated Seismic Monitoring of Tenerife and Gran Canaria: Insights from OBS and Land-Based Networks

Understanding geodynamic processes between Tenerife and Gran Canaria is essential for assessing seismic and volcanic hazards in the Canary Islands. The GUANCHE project characterizes seismicity, subsurface structure, and related phenomena through an integrated approach, combining land-based and ocean-bottom seismic networks.

The land-based campaign ran from April 2023 to December 2024, with 13 temporary stations across Gran Canaria transmitting real-time data to the IGN analysis center. Three high-quality sites were upgraded to permanent IGN stations after the campaign, ensuring continued seismic monitoring of the area. The marine component, using ocean-bottom seismometers (OBS), was deployed in January 2024, with data collected in June 2024. Observations from these temporary networks were integrated with the existing permanent network in Tenerife and Gran Canaria to provide a comprehensive dataset for seismic investigations.

This integrated network improves detection and localization of low-magnitude seismic events. A 3D velocity model derived from project data was applied to refine earthquake locations, providing the basis for clustering, which reveals distinct seismogenic zones and a complex pattern of activity at multiple depths. Focal mechanisms were determined for the largest earthquakes (Mw > 3.5) using TMS inversion, offering additional constraints on active faulting and regional stress.

These results highlight the value of integrated seismic monitoring for understanding seismicity patterns and geodynamic processes. This study is a collaborative effort between the Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN) and the Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM), combining expertise in seismic monitoring and marine seismici