"We have been in the process of revising Cyprus's seismic zones for a year now," seismologist Silvana Pilidou, Senior Geological Officer at the Geological Survey Department.
Ms. Pileidou spoke to CNA in response to the devastating 7.4 on the Richter scale that struck Colombia yesterday, as well as the successive earthquakes in Venezuela measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale in June. She said that these were two catastrophic seismic events of similar magnitude but different origins, which are not directly related but occurred in the same broader tectonic region.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
With regard to Cyprus, he said that the ongoing revision of seismic zones is taking place because we now have a much better understanding of the faults in our region and have detailed and accurate records of the seismicity of region. Furthermore, she said, microzonation studies have been completed in our major urban centers, which provide detailed information on the behavior of our soils under seismic conditions.
Ms. Pelidou noted that in Cyprus we now build to strict standards, and by incorporating updated scientific data, we are further enhancing the resilience of our structures against seismic risk.
As Ms. Pelidou emphasized, scientific knowledge, proper earthquake-resistant construction, and new technologies can significantly reduce the impact of a future major earthquake.
Venezuela and Colombia: Their Tectonic Location
Venezuela and Colombia are geographically located in the northern part of South America and geologically in one of the most complex tectonic crossroads on the planet, where three major tectonic plates (the South American Plate, the Caribbean Plate, and the Nazca Plate) interact, creating complex fault zones, Ms. Pileidou said.
She added that these earthquake-prone countries are trapped in a “tectonic vise,” which is also responsible for the existence of the Andes.
Two Earthquakes of Different Origins in Venezuela and Colombia
As he explained, the double earthquake in Venezuela (two consecutive earthquakes with magnitudes of Mw 7.2 and Mw 7.5) on June 24, 2026, occurred at the boundary where two tectonic plates slide horizontally past one another, while the earthquake in Colombia, with a magnitude of Mw7.4 on August 10, 2026, occurred in a zone where two plates collide and one subducts beneath the other.
“Thus, two —of different origins—devastating seismic events of similar magnitude, which are not directly related but occurred in the same broader tectonic neighborhood,” he pointed out.
He said that due to their different tectonic origins, the Venezuela earthquake was shallow, while the Colombia earthquake had a great focal depth (100–110 km).
“This fact, as reflected in the ground acceleration maps, resulted in the Venezuelan earthquake having very high local intensity, while the earthquake in Colombia had lower local intensity but affected a larger area on the Earth’s surface with strong ground shaking,” he continued.
He noted that the great focal depth of the Colombian earthquake has fortunately mitigated its destructiveness compared to the Venezuelan earthquake, which, in addition to being a shallow quake, was also a double earthquake, thus causing particularly intense and prolonged ground shaking.
Beyond these differences, however, he noted that certain common adverse geological, soil, and structural factors contributed to the tragic consequences of both earthquakes.
These include loose and rubble-filled soils, which acted as a “seismic amplifier,” amplifying ground shaking and prolonging its duration.
“These particular soils also triggered a chain reaction of other adverse phenomena, such as landslides and soil liquefaction. Furthermore, buildings in these areas are not constructed with adequate seismic precautions. “In the tragic photographs that have been published, we see buildings constructed of brick or stone, or even adobe structures, without steel reinforcement, some without visible foundations,” said Ms. Pelidou.
Why wasn’t a tsunami triggered?
An early warning system for tsunamis is in operation in the Caribbean region, which was established following the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
But why didn’t two such powerful earthquakes, with such devastating consequences, trigger a tsunami—fortunately?
As Ms. Pelidou said, one might argue that this is because the epicenters were on land.
“But that is not necessarily correct. Strong earthquakes of this magnitude are associated with large faults, which can extend underwater and, under certain conditions, trigger a tsunami,” she said.
In these specific cases, he noted, none of the earthquakes caused significant vertical displacement of the seafloor that would trigger the phenomenon —the earthquake in Venezuela was due to horizontal movement along the fault, while the earthquake in Colombia was due to its great focal depth.
Are we building more safely in Cyprus?
Regarding Cyprus, Ms. Pileidou said that civil engineers are responsible for the seismic design of buildings based on the seismic zone map, and she added that seismic zones statistically estimate howseismic ground motion might be in each region.
“They are part of the relevant Eurocode, serving as the basic tool for the seismic design of structures,” he said.
As geoscientists, he continued, “we contribute to protection against earthquakes at our own level, through the continuous monitoring and assessment of seismic activity in Cyprus, the study and mapping of faults and the geological characteristics of the region, etc., so that our country’s seismic protection measures are based on realistic models of Cyprus’s seismic risk, through a reliable seismic zone map.”
He noted that the seismic zones currently in effect in Cyprus were officially published in 2004 and were based on data available prior to 1994.
Revision of Seismic Zones in Cyprus
“For the past year, we have been in the process of revising Cyprus’s seismic zones in collaboration with experts from Cyprus and abroad,” Ms. Pelidou told CNA.
When asked why the review is taking place now, she replied that “because we now have a much better understanding of the faults in our region, we have detailed and accurate records of seismic activity in our region, and we have now completed microzonation studies in our major urban centers, which provide detailed information on the behavior of our soils under seismic conditions.”
She also noted that Eurocode 8 (which sets the European standards for the seismic design of structures) is currently undergoing revision.
Each country, Ms. Pelidou said, adapts the Eurocode to its own geological conditions through a national annex.
“Thus, the revised seismic zones will soon be incorporated into Cyprus’s national annex to the new Eurocode,” she emphasized.
Ms. Pelidou told CNA that “the answer, therefore, is yes; in Cyprus we are now building to strict standards, and with updated scientific data we are further strengthening the resilience of our structures against seismic risk.”
Earthquake Early Warning Systems
As Ms. Pelidou told CNA, some countries have begun operating earthquake early warning systems.
She explained that, using seismic sensors, these systems quickly calculate the parameters of an earthquake—which is already underway—and send electronic messages to distant areas, before the strong tremors arrive, taking advantage of the fact that electronic signals travel at the speed of light, while seismic waves travel at lower speeds (a few kilometers per second).
In this way, he pointed out, technology helps us stay informed and respond before nature catches up with us.
He clarified that although these systems do not predict earthquakes, they sometimes provide valuable time (even if only seconds) for protection and for safety measures such as, for example, bringing trains to a stop, opening elevators to the nearest floor, opening electromagnetic emergency exits to evacuate buildings, shutting off natural gas and electricity supplies, implementing appropriate measures on industrial production lines, data centers, surgical systems, etc.
Can this be implemented in Cyprus?
When asked whether this system could be implemented in Cyprus, he said that it would be difficult.
“It is difficult to successfully implement a traditional system of this kind in Cyprus,” said Ms. Pelidou, explaining, “since the locations of the ground-motion sensors and the geographical distribution of seismic activity in Cyprus, combined with the size of our island, as well as the propagation speeds of seismic waves through the Earth’s interior, make early warning impossible.”
However, there is Google Android Earthquake Alerts, which also works in Cyprus. Ms. Pileidou referred to Google Android Earthquake Alerts, which utilizes more than 2 billion Android mobile devices owned by citizens worldwide, through their built-in motion sensors, as a global, digital, dense, and real-time seismic network.
The system, he explained, quickly assesses the parameters of an earthquake and sends alerts to cell phones in areas where strong tremors are expected.
“It may provide a warning of a few seconds, or it may not be in time, since it takes time both for the calculations and for transmitting the warnings,” he said.
The system has been in operation in Cyprus for the past few years and was partially activated during the two M>5.0 earthquakes in Paphos in 2025.
“In some cases, it provided valuable seconds of warning,” said Ms. Pelidou.
In conclusion, she noted that earthquakes still cannot be predicted, but added that this does not mean we are defenseless.
“Scientific knowledge, proper earthquake-resistant construction, and new technologies can significantly reduce the impact of a future major earthquake,” she said.
And this, Ms. Pelidou said, is perhaps the most important message left to us by the tragedies in Venezuela and Colombia.
Source: KYPE
