Lessons From the Venezuela Earthquakes
On June 24, 2026, two devastating earthquakes struck the northern coast of Venezuela. The 7.2 magnitude foreshock was followed roughly 40 seconds later by a 7.5 magnitude mainshock. Known as a doublet, these earthquakes caused widespread damage and destruction in the country’s capital region, particularly in the state of La Guaira, where it’s estimated that more than 58,000 buildings were destroyed. As of July 2026, the death toll surpassed more than 5,000 with and an estimated 16,740 injured.
In the wake of this natural disaster, we sat down with UC Davis observational seismologist Amanda Thomas to discuss the causes of the Venezuela doublet, why earthquake science matters and how Thomas’ research is helping us learn more about the tectonic shifts beneath our feet.
A professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and the Louise H. Kellogg Endowed Chair in Geophysics, Thomas harnesses leading-edge technologies to track and analyze subtle and not-so-subtle vibrations of the Earth’s surface. Her foundational research is helping inform how we predict, prepare for and respond to geohazards.
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