Colombia and the world tremble every day. However, most of the earthquakes that occur every day are of low magnitude, which is why most of the time they go unnoticed by citizens.
Earthquakes:
- In Entrerrios – Antioquia, Colombia, around 06:22 Local Time, an earthquake with a magnitude of 3.9 M and a depth of 373 km was experienced.
- In Los Santos – Santander, Colombia, at 05:55 Local Time an earthquake of magnitude 2.3 M and depth of 139 km was felt
How long do aftershocks last after an earthquake? This is what the experts say
From the Colombian Geological Service they clarified that aftershocks are those earthquakes that occur after a primary earthquake, but they are described as having magnitudes smaller than the first telluric movement.
Regarding the time that aftershocks can last after an earthquake, the technical director of Geohazards of the Colombian Geological Service, John Makario Londoño, explained that they usually occur at a lower magnitude. “The aftershocks, like the main earthquake, are unpredictable, unpredictable, that is, we don’t know when they will happen, nor the magnitude, nor the distance where they will happen,” he said.
Similarly, the technical director of Geothreats of the Colombian Geological Service commented that aftershocks usually occur over a long period of time. “What is very certain is that these replicas reproduce for a long time, sometimes even weeks or months, but most of them are unknown to people,” he clarified.
Meanwhile, the geologist and director of the Department of Geosciences at the University of the Andes, Natalia Pardo said: “It is not certain how long the aftershocks will last. There are cases of months, others of decades; “They are very different.”
On the other hand, Rodrigo León, professor of Geosciences at the University of the Andes, agreed with the SGC that there is a possibility that these events will last for several months. “The series of aftershocks, for this type of event, can last several months. Regarding the expected sizes within the range, it can vary greatly.”
“In general, it is expected that the largest aftershock will be one unit smaller than the main earthquake. In other words, if we have 6.1 we can expect one or several aftershocks close to 5. Another point is that the frequency of aftershocks decreases over time, but the magnitude may not change,” added the Professor. León about the size of the replicas.
On the subject, the Colombian Geological Service also clarified that the amount of duration of the tremors depends on other factors. “There are three factors that influence the duration of the movement: the distance between the center of the earthquake and the place where it is felt, the type of soil and the type of construction.”
However, the same entity says that the time an earthquake lasts is relative. “The duration is relative because it can refer to the perception of the movement, the instrumental record of the earthquake or the movement of the fault that caused it”
