Why is Venezuela frequently hit by devastating earthquakes? WION Decodes reason behind major seismic events

Two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale hit Venezuela on Wednesday evening leaving at least 164 people dead and 971 injured, said acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez in an update early Thursday. The death toll is likely to rise and is feared to be much higher, given the number of collapsed and damaged buildings, as rescue operations continue.

The earthquakes, that have caused large scale destruction, both in terms of live and property struck less than a minute apart. Their epicentres were located about 45 kilometres from each other and occurred at different depths, according to USGS data.

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According to US Geological Survey there is a 44% chance ( figures are based on a predictive model) of the death toll from Venezuela earthquakes exceeding 10,000 people. There is also a 45% chance of the economic costs exceeding $10 billion.

Why does Venezuela observe frequent earthquakes?

Venezuela has been hit by devastation earthquakes in the past too and there are many reasons for this

• Firstly it sits directly on the active boundary where the Caribbean Plate and the South American Plate grind past each other creating a major strike-slip fault systems, such as the Boconó, San Sebastián, and El Pilar faults that result in frequent, shallow and damaging earthquakes.
• The constant underground friction created by the annual shifting of the Caribbean Plate eastward by about 20 mm relative to the South American Plate is another reason for frequent earthquakes in Venezuela.
• Northern Venezuela does not have one simple boundary, rather, it is crisscrossed by major active faults (like the Boconó Fault) that rupture and release accumulated strain.
• The heavy casualties reported every time a quake hits Venezuela is because the country's 80% of population lives along these high-risk seismic zones in northern coastal and mountainous regions.
• Notably, the capital city Caracas that has faced severe damage in terms of live and property sits in deep sedimentary basins, which can trap and significantly amplify seismic waves, increasing structural damage.

The 7.5-magnitude quake was the most powerful since October 29, 1900 when a 7.7-magnitude quake struck offshore. At least 30 aftershocks occurred after the main two earthquakes struck the country.

In an interview with Venezuela’s state broadcaster, President Delcy Rodríguez said she is coordinating with the United Nations to send rescuers and with the International Monetary Fund to create an initial fund of $200 million for rebuilding the country.