Venezuela sits at the boundary of two major tectonic plates, a geological reality that makes the country one of the more seismically active nations in South America.
The Caribbean plate, which covers Central America and the Caribbean Sea, and the South American plate, which underlies most of South America and part of the Atlantic Ocean floor, interact primarily along the north of the continent through lateral slipping and subduction zones. In subduction zones, a heavier plate sinks beneath a lighter one into the Earth’s mantle.
The Fundacion Venezolana de Investigaciones Sismologicas, known as Funvisis, is the government body responsible for carrying out and promoting seismological research in Venezuela. It also operates and maintains the network of seismological stations that record and monitor all earthquake activity across the country.
Authorities distinguish between two ways of measuring earthquakes. Magnitude is calculated numerically from seismograph readings and reflects the size and energy released during a tremor. Intensity, by contrast, is assigned based on the damage or effects caused to people and their structures.
Officials also warn about seismic silence, a prolonged period without significant earthquake activity in a region. Such a gap can indicate the accumulation of tectonic stress and a rising risk of a future tremor.
In the event of a tsunami, authorities advise people who receive an official warning, or who see the sea retreating, to move immediately to high ground, reach a flood-free zone, and proceed to the nearest assembly point. Those unable to reach high ground are advised to climb to an upper floor or the roof of a solid building.
