Colombia Quake Not Linked to Venezuela Tremors, Geologist Says
A Colombian geologist says the recent 7.5-magnitude quake is unrelated to June's Venezuela earthquakes, citing different tectonic plates.
A senior Colombian seismologist has dismissed any direct connection between the powerful earthquake that struck western Colombia this week and the tremors that hit Venezuela in June, clarifying that the two events were driven by distinct geological forces.
Freddy Tovar Belcara, coordinator of Colombia's National Seismological Network, explained that while both nations are seismically active, the specific tectonic plates involved in each disaster are different. The June 24 earthquake in Venezuela resulted from the interaction between the Caribbean Plate and the South American Plate. In contrast, Monday's 7.5-magnitude quake in Colombia was caused by the Nazca Plate and the South American Plate.
"Their geological contexts are different," Belcara said. "We cannot say that the earthquake in Venezuela triggered this strong earthquake in Colombia. The two earthquakes are not directly related."
The death toll from the Colombian earthquake has risen to 188, with 1,677 others injured, according to the Colombian Association of Capital Cities (Asocapitales). The government has declared a state of national disaster following the event, which Belcara described as one of the highest-magnitude earthquakes ever recorded in the country.
Belcara also addressed why shaking was felt intensely in areas far from the epicenter. He attributed this to "site effects," where local geological conditions, soil composition, and infrastructure types can amplify seismic waves. In river valleys with unconsolidated sediments, for instance, the shaking can resonate and intensify, sometimes exceeding the force felt near the epicenter itself.