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What made the deadly Venezuelan earthquakes different
npr ^ | 06/25/2026 | Katia Riddle

Posted on 06/25/2026 3:54:31 PM PDT by BenLurkin

[I]t appears these two quakes may have occurred on two separate faults. Several faults intersect in this tectonically complex region.

Historically, when experts evaluate earthquake risk, they haven't necessarily accounted for this multifault scenario, says Chris Goldfinger, a paleoseismologist at Oregon State University. "We always tend to kind of assume that earthquakes will just be on one fault and only on one fault," he says.

In 2016, a multifault event — the Kaikōura earthquake in New Zealand — took people by surprise, says Goldfinger, and changed scientists' understanding of how interconnected faults can trigger multiple ruptures. Assuming the Venezuelan quakes turn out to be similar, he says, it will be important information for those who study this kind of risk.

"The first one was completely out of the blue. We had no idea that could happen at all," says Goldfinger. "And here's a second one 10 years later where two really big earthquakes happened on separate faults."

Around the world there are other places with multiple faults. Parts of California's fault system, including the San Andreas Fault, have similarly complex tectonics.

(Excerpt) Read more at npr.org ...


TOPICS: Science
KEYWORDS: california; earthquake; haywardfault; sanandreas; venezuela
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1 posted on 06/25/2026 3:54:31 PM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin

For some reason any natural disaster in a socialist country is “special” and so much worse than any where else on the planet.
I wonder why that is?


2 posted on 06/25/2026 4:02:42 PM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (The tree accused of killed Sonny Bono was planted.)
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To: BenLurkin

Goldfinger?
For real?


3 posted on 06/25/2026 4:05:05 PM PDT by Repeal The 17th ( I am obsessed with not being obsessed with anything.)
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To: BenLurkin

bookmark.


4 posted on 06/25/2026 4:06:53 PM PDT by dadfly
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To: Repeal The 17th

He’s the man with the golden touch.


5 posted on 06/25/2026 4:08:45 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is opinion or satire. Or both.)
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear

I don’t agree. The USA stands ready to help any country devastated by earthquakes. We announced a substantial humanitarian aid package for Venezuela. The US will provide $150 million in aid to Venezuela following the devastating earthquakes, with $100 million contributed to a UN humanitarian fund for Venezuela and $50 million to aid organizations already working in the country.

The Department of State is deploying a regional Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), as well as urban search-and-rescue teams, and is collaborating with other U.S. departments, UN agencies, NGOs, and host governments to deliver search-and-rescue support and other supplies. Additionally, the U.S. Defense Department will provide aircraft to assess damage, find injured victims and deliver life-saving assistance.

President Trump pledged to deploy U.S. resources to earthquake-stricken Venezuela, saying the U.S. stands “ready, willing, and able to help.”

I think this is a good time to build good relationships with Venezuela and keep the Chinese out of our hemisphere.


6 posted on 06/25/2026 4:09:07 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear

Japan has Earthquakes all the time (now the tsunami...that was a true disaster). But earthquakes they built right for them.


7 posted on 06/25/2026 4:11:15 PM PDT by for-q-clinton
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear; BenLurkin
For some reason any natural disaster in a socialist country is “special” and so much worse than any where else on the planet. I wonder why that is?

Actually, I was immediately concerned due to effects on oil production.

Any oil and gas people able to comment?

8 posted on 06/25/2026 4:11:21 PM PDT by fso301
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To: BenLurkin
We always tend to kind of assume that earthquakes will just be on one fault and only on one fault...

That's because the media are always telling us there's only one fault - Trump's fault!

9 posted on 06/25/2026 4:12:22 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: BenLurkin

I saw some of the video. Ugly stuff. Prayers for those people.


10 posted on 06/25/2026 4:20:48 PM PDT by plain talk
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To: Billthedrill

Winner!


11 posted on 06/25/2026 4:23:47 PM PDT by GMThrust
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To: ProtectOurFreedom
I don't agree.

Really?

You have never noticed that any natural disaster in any socialist country tends to be so uniquely devastating for some strange reason?

In fact if you have two countries right together and one is socialist and one is normal the socialist country will be hit with a super special dose of disaster that is so much more horrible than what hits the normal country. Even if it is from the exact same event.

It is just an interesting phenomena I have observed.

12 posted on 06/25/2026 4:25:12 PM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (The tree accused of killed Sonny Bono was planted.)
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear

Twenty five years of building shortcuts and ignoring earthquake zone best practices and standards, all at the invitation of institutionalized corruption, AKA, socialism.


13 posted on 06/25/2026 4:25:28 PM PDT by The Free Engineer
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To: BenLurkin

They build everything out of cinder blocks or concrete with no, or barely any, rebar.


14 posted on 06/25/2026 4:30:05 PM PDT by TheThirdRuffian (Orange is the new brown)
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To: fso301
Tar abounds in Venezuela.


15 posted on 06/25/2026 4:30:27 PM PDT by crusty old prospector
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To: The Free Engineer

We mock but the Back Bay of Boston is fill land (it was literally a bay) and the same masonry construction.

It sits on a very active fault that is way past due.

One day it will return to the sea quite suddenly.


16 posted on 06/25/2026 4:32:43 PM PDT by TheThirdRuffian (Orange is the new brown)
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To: Harmless Teddy Bear

Corruption and bribed building inspectors.........


17 posted on 06/25/2026 4:41:44 PM PDT by Red Badger (Iryna Zarutska, May 22, 2002 Kyiv, Ukraine – August 22, 2025 Charlotte, North Carolina Say her name)
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To: crusty old prospector

thanks


18 posted on 06/25/2026 4:55:57 PM PDT by fso301
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To: fso301

The only thing worse than Venezuelan “oil” is the Alberta Tar Sands. Think Keystone Pipeline. They don’t drill wells for it. They mine it. Both have the consistency of syrup but you can crack it to make gasoline with the right refinery.


19 posted on 06/25/2026 5:46:40 PM PDT by crusty old prospector
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To: crusty old prospector
The only thing worse than Venezuelan “oil” is the Alberta Tar Sands. Think Keystone Pipeline. They don’t drill wells for it. They mine it. Both have the consistency of syrup but you can crack it to make gasoline with the right refinery.

Yes but my understanding is Gulf Coast refineries were designed for Venezuelan heavy crude.

20 posted on 06/25/2026 6:32:57 PM PDT by fso301
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