The person responsible for seismic risk and prevention at the Andalusian Institute of Geophysics, Mercedes Feriche, has explained that the earthquake of magnitude 5 and epicenter in Alhendín (Granada) recorded during the early hours of this Saturday fits with a seismic series that involves other movements of a force that will decrease.
In statements to Efe, this expert explained that the earthquake and the aftershocks that have occurred are compatible with a seismic series, which is characterized by a strong tremor followed by others of lesser intensity. It would, therefore, be different from the seismic swarm that for more than three months and since January 2021 affected different municipalities in the Vega de Granada, on the northern slope, compared to those most affected this week, on the southern slope.
The Andalusian Institute of Geophysics (IAG) has also analyzed the ground movements in recent hours and predicts that both the number of earthquakes and their intensity will decrease. Feriche has insisted that, during this seismic series, it is especially important to only pay attention to information from official sources, avoid hoaxes and follow self-protection recommendations.
"We must remember that when an earthquake like the one in Alhendín occurs, you should not leave the buildings because there is a greater risk of suffering damage from falling elements or landslides," added this IAG expert. He has also explained that the fault involved in this week's earthquakes is not the same one in Santa Fe and Atarfe that was involved in the 2021 seismic swarm.
Granada has numerous small faults that intersect and the discharge of one can affect the movement of another, as happened then. At the moment, the Andalusian Institute of Geophysics is working on the data accumulated during this seismic series to define which fault has caused the movements.
Likewise, the president of the Illustrious Official College of Geologists, Nieves Sánchez Guitián, points out that seismic activity is expected to decline in Granada. In addition, it warns about the danger that the detachment of cornices can have during one of these phenomena.
Specifically, Nieves Sánchez invites us to be "calm": it is normal for aftershocks to occur over the next few days and this is "optimistic" since less and less energy is discharged. "(The aftershocks can happen for) several days, but in general we can say that it is a normal situation and at the same time optimistic because less energy is being discharged. Every time there is a movement it is small, that is, it is not large, which is why it can be assimilated by the structures," he explained.
Even so, he has pointed out that these earthquakes are shallow and can cause cornice falls and cause accidents. For this reason, he has asked to "look carefully and not walk under cornices and others in these next few days in case there are still small aftershocks."
"For now we have to remain calm and I am optimistic in the sense that I see a release of energy, but in small controlled doses. They are small earthquakes, which do not have to have serious consequences even if there are several," he stressed.
On the other hand, Sánchez explained that the Betic Mountain Range has "its own tectonic scheme." "It is in a situation in which there are two plates, the African and the European, and at that confluence between the two we know that earthquakes associated with active faults will occur," he indicated. Of course, he has specified that in other areas of the planet there is a greater recurrence and, therefore, more seismic activity.
"THE SEISMIC ACTIVITY WILL DECLINE"
Despite everything, Feriche has explained that, although it is normal for the intensity to decrease, "that does not mean that there cannot be another earthquake, because what has happened in other seismic series may occur, that perhaps this failure when moving or relaxing, by releasing all the energy accumulated by deformation", can overload an adjacent fault.
"That does not mean that we know it or that it will happen or not," she stressed and clarified, after being asked if it could happen again, that "it could, but we don't know." Thus, he reiterated that "so far what we know is that it is a seismic series with a main earthquake - of magnitude 5 - that occurred around 01:00 am."
