Geologist dismisses alarm over La Tortuga Island earthquakes, calls them tectonic readjustment

Geologist Luiraima Salazar has reassured the public, stating that a recent swarm of earthquakes near Venezuela's La Tortuga Island does not indicate any immediate danger. She explained that the tremors are part of a natural tectonic plate readjustment process following seismic events on June 24.

Several low-magnitude earthquakes, including a 3.0 magnitude event, were registered in areas like La Guaira, Boca de Aroa, Caracas, Los Teques, Naiguatá, and La Victoria. The shallow depth of the epicenter, just 3.9 kilometers, caused the tremors to be felt with greater intensity by the population.

Salazar clarified that discrepancies between preliminary automated alerts (like Android Earthquake Alerts which initially reported 4.1) and official figures from Funvisis (confirming 3.0) are normal in seismology. She noted that a magnitude 3.0 earthquake with a shallow epicenter can be perceived with Mercalli intensities of III or even IV near the origin, causing widespread awareness but not significant structural damage.

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A M 3.0 earthquake with a hypocenter of just 3.9 km depth can reach intensities III and even IV on the Modified Mercalli scale in the areas closest to the epicenter. Being mostly perceived by a good part of the population without causing significant structural damage.

Further analysis revealed a series of seismic events south and southeast of La Tortuga Island, ranging from magnitude 2.4 to 3.6. Salazar described this as a localized spatial adjustment, though current data cannot link it to a specific geological fault. She emphasized that these events are consistent with the tectonic activity of the El Pilar fault system and should not be mistaken for direct aftershocks of the June 24 seismic doublet.

The geologist stressed that the La Tortuga seismic sequence does not signal an impending large-scale earthquake or pose a risk of anomalous waves along the Venezuelan coast. She urged communities to maintain updated family prevention protocols and to check the stability of their infrastructure.

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Both events are consistent with the tectonic activity of the El Pilar fault system and should not be automatically interpreted as direct aftershocks associated with the seismic doublet of June 24.