The 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck Colombia on Monday has been described by experts as unusual for this part of the country. According to them, the seismic waves may have traveled such great distances because of the earthquake’s depth and the region’s tectonic configuration.
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Fabio Florindo, head of Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, said an earthquake of this strength was not expected in this area of Colombia. The western coast of South America is known for its high seismic activity, but historical data show that tremors of this magnitude occur rarely.
From 1950 to the present day, only two seismic events of equal or greater magnitude have been recorded within a radius of about 250 kilometers of the latest earthquake’s epicenter.
Although Colombia is crossed by three Andean mountain ranges and frequently experiences weaker earthquakes, seismic tremors have not historically been the natural disasters with the highest death toll in the country. Landslides have caused more fatalities, while one of the worst tragedies was the 1985 Armero disaster, in which around 25,000 people lost their lives.
Monday’s earthquake was located at a depth of approximately 100 kilometers. Experts explained that such a deep focus does not necessarily mean weaker tremors at the surface.
In fact, this depth may have allowed the seismic waves to travel more easily through geological layers, causing them to be felt at considerable distances.
Florindo said that the earthquake reaching a magnitude of 7.4 indicates that an extraordinarily large amount of energy was rapidly released toward the surface.
Preliminary data from specialists suggest that a large tectonic rupture may have formed within the Nazca Plate. This plate extends from the Pacific Ocean and subducts beneath the South American Plate.
According to estimates, the rupture is at least 110 kilometers long. Its size could cause seismic activity in this region to continue for an extended period.
While the earthquake remains an unusual event for the area, experts are continuing their studies to determine more clearly the tectonic mechanism behind the tremors.
