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Why are so many devastating earthquakes suddenly occurring?

2026-08-25 22:29:02Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

Why are so many devastating earthquakes suddenly occurring?

By Julia Musto – Independent

Colombia, Venezuela, Japan, Indonesia, Spain and Mexico have all been hit by major earthquakes this summer. But experts say everything is normal.

Powerful earthquakes have caused devastation in several parts of the world this summer.

Colombia, Venezuela, Japan, Indonesia, Spain and Mexico have all been hit by strong seismic tremors, creating the impression that the planet is experiencing an unusual wave of earthquakes.

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the Philippines in June, triggering a tsunami. That same month, two consecutive earthquakes of magnitudes above 7.0 struck Venezuela, killing thousands. In July, a 6.8-magnitude quake shook Japan, while another with a magnitude of 7.3 struck off the southern coast of Mexico.

Earlier this month, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck Colombia, one of the strongest in the country in years, while another with a magnitude of 7.7 displaced about 40,000 people in Indonesia. This week, a 4.9-magnitude earthquake led to the evacuation of hundreds of people in Spain.

The number of major earthquakes within such a short period may seem shocking, but experts tell The Independent that this is within normal limits for a planet that is constantly in motion.

"I'm not seeing anything unusual here. It's all within the typical fluctuations in the rate of earthquakes that we usually see," said Zachary Ross, a professor of geophysics at Caltech.

Earthquakes occur when tectonic plates beneath the Earth's surface rub against each other, creating vibrations that are felt on the surface. They also help release heat from the planet's core.

Earthquakes above magnitude 7.0 are considered “major” and can cause serious damage over wide areas. There have been 11 such earthquakes so far this year, but that’s still below the annual average of 15 to 18 major earthquakes, according to Maureen Long, professor and chair of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Yale University.

"It seems like a pattern, because unfortunately some of these events have occurred in populated areas and caused significant damage, so we've seen a lot of headlines," she said.

According to Dr. Allen Husker, research professor of geophysics at Caltech, 17 or 18 large earthquakes are expected this year, based on the pace of a typical active year, where up to 20 could be recorded.

"If we reach that number, it would be a little high, but not unusual," he said.

Experts also stress that there is no indication that this summer's earthquakes are connected. According to seismologist John Emilio Vidale, of the University of Washington, they are "almost certainly coincidences."

"All of the large earthquakes that have occurred recently have occurred in different tectonic plate boundary areas and in different tectonic settings," said William Barnhart, assistant coordinator of the earthquake hazards program at the U.S. Geological Survey.

"Although they may appear close to each other in space and time, from a seismological point of view they are not," he added.

Large earthquakes can cause smaller tremors in distant areas and aftershocks, as happened in Venezuela. But, according to Eric Dunham, a professor of geophysics at Stanford University, “there is no evidence that large earthquakes cause other large earthquakes on a global scale.”

This means that a large earthquake in another part of the world does not affect the likelihood of a destructive earthquake occurring in the U.S., Long and Husker said.

However, that doesn't mean a major seismic event is out of the question. The San Andreas tectonic fault in Southern California remains one of the areas being closely monitored. So does the Cascadia subduction zone in the Pacific Northwest, which runs along the coasts of Oregon and Washington.

These West Coast tectonic faults could affect each other and cause even more severe consequences, Oregon State University researchers warned last October.

"The prediction for the San Andreas fault is that it is overdue for a major earthquake," said Folarin Kolawole, an assistant professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University.

"However, there are many other tectonic faults in the US that are under critical stress and could produce an earthquake if a significant disturbance occurs around them," he added.

Experts remind us that earthquakes cannot be predicted, so preparation remains the best defense. As with other major disasters, such as hurricanes or winter storms, it is important to have an evacuation plan and an emergency kit.

For earthquakes, early warning apps like ShakeAlert and MyShake can provide up to a minute's advance notice.

During an earthquake, people should drop to the floor, get under cover away from windows and hold on tight, the American Red Cross advises. People who are outdoors should move to an open area, away from buildings and power lines, according to the USGS.

"Large, rare earthquakes can be devastating, but smaller, more frequent earthquakes can be just as dangerous. Being prepared for how to react to an earthquake is the best way to cope when one occurs," Barnhart said.


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