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Could Murcia's recent earthquakes trigger a larger disaster?
Researchers stress there's no cause for alarm, but they're analysing whether the tremors could have affected the fault responsible for the devastating 2011 Lorca earthquake
After two earthquakes in the Region of Murcia in the space of just three days, seismologists are now studying whether the tremors could have had any effect on the Alhama de Murcia Fault, the fault line linked to the devastating 2011 Lorca earthquake.
The first quake, which struck on Sunday August 2, measured 4.1 and was felt across much of the Region as well as parts of Alicante and Albacete. It was followed in the early hours of Tuesday morning by a smaller 2.5-magnitude tremor near Albudeite. Neither earthquake caused any injuries or significant damage.
Although the two recent earthquakes did not occur directly on the Alhama Fault itself, experts believe they originated on a much smaller fault nearby, close to Barqueros.
Geologist Raúl Pérez López, a researcher at the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME-CSIC), explained that this smaller fault is limited in size.
"The good thing about this segment is that it lacks geological continuity and isn't very large, so it doesn't have the capacity to trigger major earthquakes," he said.
Even so, scientists are now carrying out further studies to understand whether the recent movement could have transferred stress to the much larger Alhama Fault.
Earthquakes in the Region in the last 30 days
Pérez López explained that the earthquakes "could stimulate the Alhama fault", although that doesn't mean a larger earthquake is expected. Instead, researchers want to understand whether the recent tremors changed the pressure deep underground.
To find out, the IGME is creating computer models to see how the stress beneath the Region may have shifted following the earthquakes.
Scientists are also using highly sensitive monitoring equipment capable of detecting tiny underground movements that people never feel. The aim is to build a clearer picture of how faults behave over time and improve understanding of seismic activity in the Region.
Pérez López said Sunday's earthquake was unusual because it was not immediately followed by a series of aftershocks. When Tuesday's smaller tremor occurred, he believed it was linked to the first earthquake but said he doesn't expect it to have "much further repercussions."
Even without any damage, he acknowledged the recent earthquakes have understandably made many people nervous because of the Region's history.
"This means that all of us who work on this topic are monitoring this earthquake. We're creating a stress change model and trying to see if there are any geological manifestations of new faults that we're unaware of," he said.
The Alhama Fault stretches for around 87 kilometres through the Region of Murcia and is one of the most active fault systems in south-eastern Spain. It was responsible for the magnitude 5.1 Lorca earthquake in May 2011, which claimed nine lives, injured hundreds of people and caused widespread damage.
For now, scientists stress there is no indication that a larger earthquake is imminent, but the recent tremors have provided an important opportunity to learn more about one of the Region's most closely watched fault systems.
Images: IGME / IGN
