Was Venezuela hit by a “double” earthquake? Here’s what we know so far

On Wednesday evening, just after 6 p.m. local time, two strong earthquakes shook northern Venezuela.

The first explosion occurred near San Felipe, the capital of Yaracuy state. Just 39 seconds later, another earthquake occurred near the town of Yomari, 5 to 10 kilometers away from the first quake.

Strong earthquakes were felt across the region, including the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, about 150 kilometers east of the epicenter. Buildings collapsed, and authorities reported that the number of casualties could be in the thousands.

In addition to strong shaking, landslides including landslides and liquefaction are expected throughout the area. The earthquakes occurred in a mountainous area where cliff collapses are common. The type of sediments found beneath Caracas amplify seismic waves and enhance earthquake damage.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the quakes were “double”: a 7.2-magnitude mainshock followed 39 seconds later by a 7.5-magnitude mainshock.

What is a “double” earthquake?

A double earthquake is a pair of earthquakes that occur within a short period of time and at a distance from each other.

Unlike a typical earthquake sequence, where a larger earthquake is followed by much smaller aftershocks, coupled earthquakes are earthquakes of similar magnitude and are causally related, but seismologically distinct. This means that the seismic waves generated by each earthquake are separated by a time gap, and/or originate from different sources.

Although the epicenters of the Venezuelan earthquakes were only kilometers away from each other, USGS seismic wave information indicates that they likely originated from different faults with different rupture patterns.

This is consistent with previously developed maps of active faults in this region. These large faults appear as rocks slide past each other in an east-west direction, and are linked by arrays of smaller faults in different directions.

The first earthquake likely triggered the second earthquake. This could happen because displacement of the crust on the fault of the first earthquake led to increased stress on the fault of the source of the second earthquake. In addition, the passage of seismic waves from the first quake may have shaken nearby faults already susceptible to rupture, causing them to fail.

Double earthquakes are uncommon, but they do happen. In 2023, a double earthquake struck Turkey and Syria, with a magnitude of 7.8 and 7.7. These disasters occurred just 95 kilometers and nine hours apart, affecting 14 million people and causing widespread damage.

In 1988, a “triad”—a series of three earthquakes separated by just half an hour—occurred at Tennant Creek in Australia.

Why is Venezuela vulnerable to earthquakes?

Duals in Venezuela occurred along the diffuse land boundary between the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates.

In northern Venezuela, these plates are sliding past each other at a rate of about 20 mm per year, as the Caribbean plate moves eastward relative to the South American plate. This produces large strike-slip faults, including the Pocono, San Sebastian, and El Pilar fault systems.

Active plate boundaries generate frequent shallow earthquakes, some of which can be damaging.

The area has witnessed several large earthquakes in the past. These include the 7.7 magnitude Caracas earthquake in 1900 and the 6.5 magnitude earthquake in 1967.

West of the last earthquake, the plate boundaries become broader and more complex, and are subject to widespread seismic activity, with many shallow and medium depth earthquakes.

Read more: Why are shallow earthquakes more destructive? The disaster in Java is a devastating example

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