About this Summary
This summary was created with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) to help readers quickly understand the key points of the article.
It has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication. For complete information and full details, please read the full article.
- The Colombia and Venezuela earthquakes were similarly powerful but had different tectonic origins and were not directly related.
- Venezuela’s earthquakes were shallow and caused very high local intensity, while Colombia’s deeper quake affected a larger area but was less destructive.
- No tsunami followed because neither earthquake caused significant vertical seabed displacement; the Venezuelan quakes were horizontal, and Colombia’s was too deep.
- Cyprus’ current seismic zones date from 2004, and revised zones are expected to be included in the national annex to the updated Eurocode.
Cyprus seismic zones have been under review for the past year as authorities use updated scientific data to improve the assessment of earthquake risk across the island, according to seismologist Sylvana Pileidou, Senior Geological Officer at the Geological Survey Department.
Pileidou was speaking following the 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck Colombia on Monday and the two consecutive earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in Venezuela in June.
She said the two events were destructive earthquakes of similar magnitude but had different tectonic origins and were not directly related, although they occurred within the same broader tectonic region.
Different earthquakes in Colombia and Venezuela
Venezuela and Colombia are located in northern South America, in one of the world’s most complex tectonic crossroads, where the South American, Caribbean and Nazca plates interact.
Pileidou said the two countries are effectively caught in a “tectonic vice”, which also contributed to the formation of the Andes.
The two earthquakes had different origins.
The two Venezuelan earthquakes on June 24, measuring Mw7.2 and Mw7.5, occurred along a boundary where two tectonic plates move horizontally against each other.
The Mw7.4 earthquake in Colombia on August 10 occurred in a zone where two plates collide, with one subducting beneath the other.
Because of their different tectonic origins, the Venezuelan earthquakes were relatively shallow, while the Colombian earthquake occurred at a depth of around 100-110 kilometres.
“This resulted in the Venezuelan earthquake producing locally very high intensity, while the Colombian earthquake produced lower local intensity but affected a larger area at the Earth’s surface with strong ground shaking,” Pileidou said.
The greater depth of the Colombian earthquake helped reduce its destructive impact compared with the Venezuelan event, which was both shallow and involved two major earthquakes, causing particularly strong and prolonged ground shaking.
However, geological, soil and construction factors contributed to the severe consequences of both events.
Loose and filled ground can amplify seismic waves and prolong shaking. Such conditions can also trigger landslides and soil liquefaction.
Pileidou also pointed to buildings constructed without adequate earthquake-resistant measures, including structures made from bricks, stones or clay blocks without reinforced steel and, in some cases, without visible foundations.
Why was there no tsunami?
The Caribbean region has a tsunami early-warning system, established following the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
Pileidou said the absence of a tsunami following the Venezuelan and Colombian earthquakes could not simply be attributed to their epicentres being on land.
Large earthquakes can involve faults extending offshore and, under certain conditions, trigger tsunamis.
In these cases, however, neither earthquake caused significant vertical displacement of the seabed.
The Venezuelan earthquakes involved horizontal fault movement, while the Colombian earthquake’s considerable depth prevented the seabed displacement required to generate a tsunami.
Cyprus seismic zones based on newer data
Seismic zones in Cyprus currently in use were officially issued in 2004 and were based on available data from before 1994.
Pileidou said the ongoing review is taking place because scientists now have much better knowledge of the region’s faults and more detailed seismicity records.
Microzonation studies have also been completed in the island’s main urban centres, providing detailed information about how local ground conditions behave during earthquakes.
“Cyprus seismic zones” are used by civil engineers as part of the framework for earthquake-resistant building design. They estimate statistically how strong ground movement could be in different areas.
Pileidou said the review has been underway for around a year in cooperation with experts from Cyprus and abroad.
The Eurocode 8 standard for earthquake-resistant structural design is also being updated. Each country adapts the code to its own geological conditions through a national annex.
The revised seismic zones are expected to be incorporated into the country’s national annex to the new Eurocode.
Cyprus buildings follow stricter standards
Pileidou said Cyprus now builds according to strict standards and that updated scientific data can further strengthen the resilience of buildings against earthquake risk.
She stressed that scientific knowledge, proper earthquake-resistant construction and new technologies can significantly reduce the impact of a future major earthquake.
Could earthquake early warning work in Cyprus?
Earthquake early-warning systems are already operating in some countries.
These systems use seismic sensors to quickly calculate the parameters of an earthquake that is already occurring and send alerts to areas that have not yet experienced the strongest shaking.
Because electronic signals travel at the speed of light while seismic waves travel at only a few kilometres per second, such systems can sometimes provide valuable seconds of warning.
They can also trigger safety measures, including stopping trains, opening lifts at the nearest floor, unlocking emergency exits and shutting down gas or electricity supplies.
Pileidou said a conventional earthquake early-warning system would be difficult to implement successfully in Cyprus because of the island’s size, the distribution of seismic activity, sensor locations and the speed at which seismic waves travel through the Earth’s interior.
Android system already operates in Cyprus
Pileidou also referred to Google Android Earthquake Alerts, which uses the motion sensors in more than two billion Android phones worldwide to create a dense, real-time digital seismic network.
The system rapidly estimates earthquake parameters and sends alerts to mobile phones in areas where strong shaking is expected.
It has been operating in Cyprus for several years and was partially activated during two earthquakes above magnitude 5.0 in Paphos in 2025.
“In some cases, it provided valuable seconds of warning,” Pileidou said.
She stressed, however, that earthquakes still cannot be predicted.
This does not mean Cyprus is defenceless, she said, stressing that scientific knowledge, proper earthquake-resistant construction and new technologies can significantly reduce the consequences of a future major earthquake.
That, she said, may be the most important lesson from the tragedies in Venezuela and Colombia.
Also read: At least 132 dead after Colombia’s strongest earthquake in years
For more videos and updates, check out our YouTube channel
