Kick-em Jenny returns to normal after 3,400 recorded earthquakes

After days of earthquake activities, the underwater volcano off the coast of Grenada, Kick-em Jenny, has returned to normal.

However, the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Center (UWI SRC) said the alert level remains at YELLOW and the situation will be monitored continuously. The UWI SRC said it recorded 3,400 seismic activities since they began on Friday, February 9, 2024, with the largest measuring 3.3 on the Richter Scale on Saturday.

“Since 3:00 a.m., on Sunday, 11th February, the activity subsided in magnitude and frequency and has returned to normal levels,” it said in its latest advisory late Monday. “It should be noted that at this time, the level of activity at the Kick’-em Jenny Submarine Volcano may either increase, decrease, or remain at normal readings. Additionally, activity
levels can fluctuate.”

The UWI SRC said it will continue to monitor the situation around the clock.

“The four (4) fully functional seismic stations in the north of Grenada continue to provide data on the activities at Kick’-em Jenny on a twenty-four-hour basis,” it said.

“The alert level for Kick’-em-Jenny remains at YELLOW. This means that all marine interests should continue to maintain the exclusion zone of 1.5 km.”

Kick’em-Jenny is located about 8 km north of Grenada and is the only known ‘live’ underwater volcano in the Eastern Caribbean. It was unknown until an eruption in 1939 produced an ash cloud that rose 900 feet above the ocean surface. The eruption also produced a series of small tsunamis. Since then, it has erupted 14 times with the last one taking place on April 29, 2017.