After the devastating earthquakes of June 24 in Venezuela, a Greek scientific mission that visited the country discovered several unusual seismic phenomena that specialists say have never before been documented in the modern history of seismology.
The assessments were presented by Efthimis Lekkas, emeritus professor of Dynamics, Tectonics and Natural Disaster Management at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, as well as president of the Greek Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization (OASP). The mission also included Panagiotis Karydis, emeritus professor of Earthquake Technology.
Të lidhura
None found
The purpose of the mission was to provide scientific, technical, operational and humanitarian support in the areas affected by the seismic disaster.
On June 24, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), Venezuela was struck by two very powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale. These tremors caused thousands of deaths and injuries, major damage to buildings and infrastructure, as well as severe economic and social consequences.
One of the rarest elements identified by the Greek specialists was the fact that the two earthquakes occurred just 39 seconds apart. According to Lekkas, such a short time gap between two shocks of this magnitude has never been recorded before. He cited as an example the twin earthquakes in Turkey in 2023, which occurred approximately six hours apart.
Experts also noted that the San Sebastian geological fault, which was activated during this seismic event, has a minimum length of 300 kilometers. It stretches along Venezuela’s northern coast and separates the tectonic plate of South America from that of the Caribbean.
The researchers were also surprised by the fact that the area near the epicenter, including the cities of San Felipe, Morón and Valencia, did not suffer major damage. Even the oldest buildings, constructed without modern anti-seismic standards, remained almost undamaged.
On the other hand, the heaviest impact was recorded about 200 kilometers from the epicenter, in the coastal area of La Guaira, Catia La Mar, Caraballeda and near the airport. It was precisely in these areas that hundreds of buildings collapsed, while many residential structures and multi-story buildings suffered severe damage.
The mission report states that the most exposed were tall buildings constructed on loose coastal and river deposits. This is linked to the resonance between long-period seismic waves and the characteristics of the terrain. According to the experts, the situation worsened even further because the tremors of the second earthquake began before those of the first had ended, significantly prolonging the duration of the shaking and increasing the destructive impact on buildings.
In Caracas, meanwhile, the consequences were clearly more limited. Apart from the collapse of around ten high-rise buildings, the vast majority of the capital suffered no serious damage. According to the experts, the tectonic faults passing near Caracas were not activated during this seismic episode.
The report also stresses that there were no systematic collapses in mountainous and rocky areas. Even neighborhoods with informal construction and poor building quality recorded less damage than expected, due to the different geological characteristics of the terrain.
Preliminary data show that the economic losses from this natural disaster are expected to reach about 5% of Venezuela’s Gross Domestic Product, placing it among the most severe natural disasters to hit the country in recent decades.
