The geological reasons behind Venezuela being in an earthquake zone and the hazard map

Venezuela, one of South America's most seismically fragile regions, is located on an active tectonic boundary due to its location. The scraping of the Caribbean and South American plates is the underlying geological reality that has caused devastating tremors in this country for centuries. The recent earthquakes of 7,2 and 7,5 magnitude have once again shown the entire world how severe this geological tension can be. The friction of these massive underground structures poses a direct risk to the most densely populated centers, particularly in the country's northern strip. The origin of the seismic hazard in Venezuela can be explained by the Caribbean plate attempting to move eastward over the South American plate at a speed of approximately two centimeters per year.

As these rock formations attempt to slide over one another during the movement of tectonic plates, they sometimes become stuck, accumulating energy for millions of years. As a result of this accumulation, when the plates finally begin to move, the massive stored energy is suddenly released, rendering Venezuela extremely susceptible to earthquakes. As BBC News reporter Esme Stallard noted, this mechanism of continuous friction and sudden release causes the region's complex fault system to constantly generate tension. Scientists are examining how blockages lasting decades or centuries can lead to great catastrophes, despite the movement appearing slow. Due to these dynamic processes, the lands in northern Venezuela rank among the regions with the highest seismic potential in Latin America.

The most critical geological structures feeding seismic activity in Venezuela are three main fault lines: Boconó, El Pilar, and San Sebastiyan. The Boconó fault stretches from the Táchira state in the west of the country until it meets the Caribbean Sea, creating a significant deformation zone. The El Pilar fault, located on the Caribbean coast, passes through the Sucre state and holds historical importance, having caused many significant destructions in the past. The third and most critical structure, the San Sebastiyan fault, although entirely underwater, runs parallel to the coast and is only 30 kilometres from the capital Caracas. This is the primary technical reason why the capital constantly feels tremors and is considered one of the highest-risk areas.

The 'earthquake twins', consisting of two consecutive tremors of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 that occurred in the recent period, have seriously exposed the risk in the region. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the focal depth of these events was less than 21 kilometres, meaning they were very shallow, which increased their destructive impact. Shallow depth allows earthquake energy to reach the surface with less attenuation, amplifying structural damage. The fact that these two large movements, separated by only seconds, created an unusual sequence has been recorded as a geologically rare but dangerous scenario. Such twin earthquakes indicate that the tension accumulating in the region's fault lines can discharge through chain reactions rather than a single event.

The scale of damage caused by earthquakes in Venezuela stems not only from geological factors but also from humanitarian and structural weaknesses. The Venezuela Foundation for Seismic Research (Funvisis) has determined that approximately 80 percent of the population lives in areas with high seismic risk. However, the biggest problem is that the country's infrastructure has been predicted to be unsustainable for decades and the investment in earthquake-resistant buildings is insufficient. As emphasized by Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, the neglected building stock over the years has caused even a medium-sized earthquake to turn into a major disaster. Measures and structural reinforcements taken in light of scientific data are of vital importance to reduce the damage caused by natural disasters.