The record
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- Major earthquakes struck northern Venezuela in June (magnitudes 7.2 and 7.3, killing more than 6,000 people), western Colombia in August (magnitude 7.4, over 300 deaths), and Peru's Ayacucho region in the same month (magnitude 7.2, injuries but no deaths), prompting readers to ask whether the events were connected.
- Seismologists from the US Geological Survey and the University of Concepcion say there is no evidence the quakes were linked, as each occurred in a different fault zone: Venezuela's on the boundary between the Caribbean and South American plates with shallow, strike-slip movement, and Colombia's and Peru's on the Nazca-South American plate boundary with much deeper, subduction-related ruptures.
- Experts note the number of recorded earthquakes this year remains within the annual average, and aftershocks occur only close to the original quake in time and place.
- The explanation matters because it reassures the public that a domino effect across these countries is not supported by current scientific knowledge.
What to watch next
- Whether further major quakes occur along the Caribbean-South American and Nazca-South American plate boundaries
- Aftershock activity following the Venezuela, Colombia, and Peru earthquakes
- Expert commentary on whether recorded seismic activity stays within the annual average
Related reporting
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Named Venezuela · Colombia · Peru · Costa Rica · Arequipa · BBC Mundo · Caribbean Plate · Earthquake Hazards Center · Ignacia Calisto · National Seismological Network · Nazca Plate · Rafael Abrau
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