Professor Dean Whitman, of the Department of Earth and Environment, studies earthquakes. He answers questions about the geophysics of the destructive event.

They were two of the strongest quakes to hit Venezuela in more than a century. Quakes of 7.0 to 7.9 magnitude are considered major, capable of causing severe, widespread damage. In addition to their ...

On Wednesday evening, Venezuela was hit with its largest tremors in more than a century — toppling buildings and claiming more than 100 lives. The event, according to the US Geological Survey, was a ...

Earthquakes happen when the Earth’s crust suddenly shifts. The crust is broken into large pieces called tectonic plates, which fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. These plates only move a few ...

It appears the two big earthquakes in Venezuela that occurred in rapid succession may have involved two separate fault lines. Several faults intersect in this tectonically complex region.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela’s northern coast, killing more than 180 people, were an event known as a “doublet.” Doublet earthquakes happen when a ...

"For a large earthquake to occur, the accumulated strain on the fault must exceed the strength of the asperity. It’s a little ...

Venezuela and its capital, Caracas, were rocked by two massive earthquake pulses on June 24, 2026, just seconds apart. The shaking from the magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 events caused buildings to collapse in ...

Then, at 6:04 p.m. ET, an M7.2 foreshock rocked the northeast coast of Venezuela, immediately followed by an M7.5 mainshock. Minutes later, an M6.9 temblor hit offshore of Kuji, Japan. It was an ...

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela's northern coast, killing more than 180 people, were an event known as a "doublet." Doublet earthquakes happen when a ...