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NASA: 60cm ground shift caused Venezuela earthquake's extreme damage

From El Comercio · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Outcome reported
  • NASA satellites detected that a fault rupture displaced the Earth's surface by up to 60 centimeters, causing extreme damage in Caracas and La Guaira from a recent earthquake.
  • The earthquake, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, occurred on June 24, resulting in 4,561 deaths, 16,740 injured, and 17,907 homeless.
  • The Nisar satellite, launched a year ago for millimeter-level surface mapping, was activated for rapid damage assessment within 12 to 24 hours to aid disaster response.

Extreme damage in Venezuela's capital and coastal areas resulted from a violent fault rupture that shifted the ground by up to 60 centimeters, NASA announced on Monday, July 13, 2026. The agency used its Nisar satellite, designed for precise Earth surface mapping, to analyze the seismic event.

The satellite data revealed the fault responsible for the La Guaira earthquake fractured near Morón, extended into the sea, and re-emerged near Caracas's international airport. This fault lies along the boundary between the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates, according to NASA.

The double earthquake, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, struck Venezuela on June 24, claiming 4,561 lives. It also left 16,740 people injured and 17,907 homeless, according to Venezuelan Parliament President Jorge Rodríguez. The government reports 1,254 aftershocks have occurred since the initial tremors.

This event marked the first time the Nisar satellite's rapid response system was deployed to map earthquake damage. The system provides data within 12 to 24 hours, significantly aiding disaster relief efforts.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Comercio in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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