Revealing magma storage and underplating beneath tenerife island from receiver function analysis

This study presents the first three-dimensional model of the crust and upper mantle beneath Tenerife based on receiver function analysis. We used more than 785 teleseismic events recorded between 2017 and 2024 to build a 3D model of S-wave velocity (Vs) down to 50 km. Using the 3D-Vs model and petrological data, we estimate the melt fraction through thermodynamic modelling. The results reveal a high-Vs oceanic crust (~ 10 km thick), overlying a heterogeneous layer with four main low-velocity anomaly zones. Thermodynamic modelling yields local melt mass fractions of up to 79 wt% within the lowest Vs zones. Furthermore, local seismicity provides additional insight, as its clusters are above the main anomalies, suggesting magma accumulation, degassing, and injection of magmatic volatiles into the hydrothermal system. These findings provide new constraints on Tenerife’s magmatic plumbing system, support active underplating, and establish a crucial framework for volcano monitoring and hazard assessment.