{"id":28177,"date":"2026-06-26T11:31:49","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T18:31:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?p=28177"},"modified":"2026-07-07T16:18:56","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T23:18:56","slug":"venezuela-earthquakes-on-fault-similar-to-san-andreas-geophysicist-sylvain-barbot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/venezuela-earthquakes-on-fault-similar-to-san-andreas-geophysicist-sylvain-barbot\/","title":{"rendered":"Venezuela\u2019s deadly earthquakes happened on a fault similar to the San Andreas, and the risks aren\u2019t over yet \u2013 a geophysicist explains"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/06\/venezuela-earthquake-2026-ap-stock-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/06\/venezuela-earthquake-2026-ap-stock-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"Person stands amid rubble of collapsed building\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  A June 24 earthquake shook buildings to the ground, trapping and killing people in Caracas, Venezuela, and nearby communities. (Image source: Sputnik via AP.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=science-and-technology\">Science and Technology<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>Venezuela\u2019s deadly earthquakes happened on a fault similar to the San Andreas, and the risks aren\u2019t over yet \u2013 a geophysicist explains<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  Both faults are along plate boundaries that move in similar ways and have ruptured in enormously destructive earthquakes in the past.\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">Sylvain Barbot<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">June 26, 2026<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 2.518315-1.68841575 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<p><em>Venezuela and its capital, Caracas, <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/venezuela-earthquake-caracas-rodriguez-aid-0a62e6fc9feb5202a750c4fbb11a6aec\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">were rocked by two massive earthquake pulses<\/a> on June 24, just seconds apart. The shaking from the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 events caused buildings to collapse in cities across the northern part of the country, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/live\/c621z18wznet\">killing more than 500 people<\/a> and trapping many more.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Geophysicist <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/profile\/sylvain-barbot\/\">Sylvain Barbot<\/a> of the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences explained what\u2019s known about the earthquake pulses so far, what risks are still ahead and why Californians should pay attention.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2>How many earthquakes hit Venezuela, and why did it see so much damage?<\/h2>\n<p>Earthquakes are natural phenomena that typically happen at the boundaries of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usgs.gov\/media\/images\/tectonic-plates-earth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Earth\u2019s tectonic plates<\/a>. These plates, which make up the Earth\u2019s crust, are tens of miles thick and carry the oceans and continents. They are slowly moving, but not in a smooth, consistent way.<\/p>\n<p>Venezuela sits along the <a href=\"https:\/\/earthquake.usgs.gov\/earthquakes\/eventpage\/atth5pbk\/region-info\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">boundary between two of these plates<\/a>: The South American plate and the Caribbean plate. As they slide past each other, these plates can stick, building up resistance before eventually having a catastrophic failure that generates an earthquake.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_28313\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-28313\" style=\"width: 2500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-28313\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/06\/caribbean-plate-barbot-slip-strike.jpg\" alt=\"Map of the plates under and around Venezuela\" width=\"2500\" height=\"1618\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/06\/caribbean-plate-barbot-slip-strike.jpg 2500w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/06\/caribbean-plate-barbot-slip-strike-500x324.jpg 500w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/06\/caribbean-plate-barbot-slip-strike-1024x663.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/06\/caribbean-plate-barbot-slip-strike-768x497.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/06\/caribbean-plate-barbot-slip-strike-1536x994.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/06\/caribbean-plate-barbot-slip-strike-2048x1325.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-28313\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Venezuela sits on the South American plate, adjacent to the Caribbean plate, which underlies the Caribbean Sea. The circles indicate large earthquakes of magnitude 5.5 and higher from 1900 to 2019. Most are on or near the plate margins. (Image source: U.S. Geological Survey.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There were <a href=\"https:\/\/earthquake.usgs.gov\/earthquakes\/map\/?currentFeatureId=us6000t7zc&amp;extent=-14.43468,-100.72266&amp;extent=34.23451,-36.38672\">two big pulses<\/a> of <a href=\"https:\/\/earthquake.usgs.gov\/earthquakes\/map\/?currentFeatureId=us6000t7zp&amp;extent=-14.43468,-100.72266&amp;extent=34.23451,-36.38672\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">seismic activity<\/a> within 39 seconds of each other on June 24, 2026, both over magnitude 7. They could have been separate events or a single earthquake with two pulses. Scientists don\u2019t yet know because we\u2019re still analyzing the data.<\/p>\n<p>Two separate earthquakes is plausible. In 2023, there was an <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s43247-023-00747-z\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">earthquake \u201cdoublet\u201d in Turkey<\/a>, where two magnitude 7-plus earthquakes happened within eight hours of each other. In that case, it was clearly two events.<\/p>\n<p>In Venezuela the pulses were just a few seconds apart. There have been earthquakes of this magnitude in the past that <a href=\"https:\/\/earthquake.usgs.gov\/earthquakes\/eventpage\/official20110311054624120_30\/executive\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ruptured different segments of very long faults<\/a>, creating the appearance of two different earthquakes but that were actually <a href=\"https:\/\/earthquake.usgs.gov\/earthquakes\/eventpage\/official20041226005853450_30\/executive\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ruptures from the same event<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>What triggers destructive earthquakes like this?<\/h2>\n<p>Earthquakes are controlled by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/discovering-geology\/earth-hazards\/earthquakes\/what-causes-earthquakes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">how rocks resist shear and stress<\/a>. The stress can build up over years or decades until it overcomes the strength of the rocks, making them break. When that happens, the stress propagates and the rupture grows.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s not a gradual motion. Within seconds, the plates quickly move, causing an earthquake. This happens several miles underground, where the temperature and pressure are both very high.<\/p>\n<p>That action is difficult to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usgs.gov\/programs\/earthquake-hazards\/rock-physics-laboratories\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reproduce in a laboratory<\/a> and involves many processes, from mechanics to chemistry to the motion of fluids. But the outcome is simple: There is a rupture that involves the sliding of rocks past one other that creates a surface rupture that breaks everything in its path, causing damage.<\/p>\n<h2>Are there similarities between the fault system in Venezuela and California\u2019s San Andreas?<\/h2>\n<p>The faults involved in Venezuela\u2019s earthquake and California\u2019s San Andreas are very similar. They are known as <a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.usgs.gov\/gip\/dynamic\/understanding.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">transform faults<\/a>, where this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usgs.gov\/media\/videos\/strike-slip-fault\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">strike-slip motion<\/a> happens as plates slide horizontally past each other.<\/p>\n<p>Even the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unavco.org\/software\/geodetic-utilities\/plate-motion-calculator\/plate-motion-calculator.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rates of motion<\/a> are quite similar. In Venezuela the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unavco.org\/software\/geodetic-utilities\/plate-motion-calculator\/plate-motion-calculator.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">boundaries move past each other<\/a> at about 0.8 inches (20 millimeters) per year on average. Along the San Andreas Fault it\u2019s slightly faster, about 1.2 inches (30 millimeters) per year.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center \"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/744455\/original\/file-20260626-57-m5dt4h.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/744455\/original\/file-20260626-57-m5dt4h.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/744455\/original\/file-20260626-57-m5dt4h.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/744455\/original\/file-20260626-57-m5dt4h.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=338&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/744455\/original\/file-20260626-57-m5dt4h.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=424&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/744455\/original\/file-20260626-57-m5dt4h.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=424&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/744455\/original\/file-20260626-57-m5dt4h.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=424&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\" alt=\"Animation shows earth moving horizontally, offsetting a road.\" \/><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">How strike-slip movement happens during a large earthquake in a transform fault, similar to the San Andreas in California.<\/span><span class=\"attribution\"><a class=\"source\" href=\"https:\/\/www.usgs.gov\/media\/videos\/strike-slip-fault\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">U.S. Geological Survey<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>They also create large magnitude earthquakes at similar frequencies. On the San Andreas Fault, scientists expect on average a large earthquake of magnitude 7 or above <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1029\/2025JB033213\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">every 170 years or so<\/a>, with the timing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usgs.gov\/programs\/earthquake-hazards\/science\/back-future-san-andreas-fault#overview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">varying along the fault<\/a>. However, this is not clockwork \u2014 it can be much more frequent or much less.<\/p>\n<p>Southern California\u2019s last \u201cbig one\u201d was the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usgs.gov\/programs\/earthquake-hazards\/science\/m79-1857-fort-tejon-earthquake\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fort Tejon earthquake<\/a> of 1857, a powerful magnitude 7.9. A recent study suggested the <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1029\/2025JB033213\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stress along the southern San Andreas<\/a> is stronger now than it has been in at least 1,000 years. If the assumptions of the work are correct, it may be ready for a rupture. But there is great variability in how frequently big earthquakes happen, so it may be another 100 years or it could happen tomorrow. We just don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n<p>Many earthquakes have happened on these faults in the past. That alone is reason for communities to have strong seismic codes for buildings and infrastructure, such as bridges and hospitals, and emergency preparedness plans.<\/p>\n<h2>Have scientists identified warning signs that might suggest an earthquake is imminent?<\/h2>\n<p>Scientists have been actively <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41467-026-72279-x\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">looking for reliable precursors<\/a> that could generate warnings of an impending rupture, but we don\u2019t yet have reliable signals.<\/p>\n<p>There are anecdotal cases of seismic swarms before a large rupture that, in hindsight, could have provided some clues to possibly detect early signs of future large ruptures. But that isn\u2019t always the case. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/2017GL074677\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Machine learning has identified<\/a> systematic changes of microseismic activity that precedes large ruptures, and some studies of the physics of earthquakes have <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.2410496122\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">started to provide explanations<\/a> of why that happens.<\/p>\n<p>So, there is hope that in the future we\u2019ll be able to connect the dots and have a good understanding of the mechanics. But we\u2019re not there yet.<\/p>\n<p>We can, however, pick up short-term warnings to issue alerts.<\/p>\n<p>Once an earthquake has started, it generates seismic waves of different kinds that propagate at different speeds. The ones that propagate fastest arrive first, and they can be detected, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.earthquake.ca.gov\/how-it-works\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">allowing scientists to predict<\/a> the second and third waves, which are slower and generally more destructive.<\/p>\n<p>After the first waves, called the P waves, you have the S wave \u2014 the shear waves \u2014 that are a little more intense. And after those you have the surface waves. The first P waves can trigger early warning systems, giving people just seconds, but that\u2019s enough time to stop traffic and shut down gas pipelines, fast-moving trains and infrastructure that is sensitive to shaking. It may be enough time to find cover to avoid being killed in your office or at home by the collapse of the building.<\/p>\n<h2>What risks does Venezuela face now?<\/h2>\n<p>We know a lot about the tectonics of these regions because geologists have spent decades mapping these faults and learning about their behavior. But to understand this particular event, scientists need to be at the scene to see the extent of damage and assess the extent of the rupture itself.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, earthquakes bring other hazards. The shaking is followed by a period of months or years when the region becomes <a href=\"https:\/\/pnsn.org\/education\/earthquake-hazards\/landslides\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">more prone to landslides<\/a> because the rocks have moved.<\/p>\n<p>That means the next rainstorm will likely trigger landslides, so Venezuela can expect more damage, more hazards and perhaps more deaths.<\/p>\n<p><em>This article, originally published June 26, 2026, has been updated with the death toll rising.<\/em><!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/286236\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" \/><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/sylvain-barbot-1510600\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sylvain Barbot<\/a>, Professor of Earth Sciences, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/usc-dornsife-college-of-letters-arts-and-sciences-2669\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>This article is republished from <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/venezuelas-deadly-earthquakes-happened-on-a-fault-similar-to-the-san-andreas-and-the-risks-arent-over-yet-a-geophysicist-explains-286236\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-related-stories \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-related-stories\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Related Articles\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n                  <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/former-president-joe-biden-visits-students-at-usc-dornsife-center-for-the-political-future\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Surprise guest: Former President Joe Biden joins USC students for a conversation about democracy<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/priceschool.usc.edu\/news\/extinction-crisis-plants-animals-communication-study\/\" \n         target=\"_blank\"                 class=\"\" \n      >Word choice matters: The extinction of plants and animals is a crisis, but calling it an \u201cextinction crisis\u201d doesn\u2019t help<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/schaeffer.usc.edu\/research\/more-education-reduces-dementia-risk-decades-later\/\" \n         target=\"_blank\"                 class=\"\" \n      >More education reduces dementia risk decades later<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n            <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Both faults are along plate boundaries that move in similar ways and have ruptured in enormously destructive earthquakes in the past.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":28180,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[159,207,87,83],"class_list":["post-28177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science-and-technology","tag-earth-sciences","tag-earthquakes","tag-expert-viewpoint","tag-the-conversation"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Venezuela\u2019s deadly earthquakes happened on a fault similar to the San Andreas, and the risks aren\u2019t over yet \u2013 a geophysicist 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