Granada is experiencing a period marked by a succession of several seismic movements, both in the capital and in the province. Since last Friday, more than 300 earthquakes have been recorded, although most have not been felt by the population. However, the largest earthquakes, of 4.8 on Saturday and 4.7 this Tuesday, have caused some material damage and triggered calls to emergency services.
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In this regard, the possibility that the region is experiencing a new seismic swarm is gaining more and more strength, although experts consider it too early to equate it with the series that had a special impact in Santa Fe, Chauchina, and Atarfe in 2021.
Experts urge caution when comparing the current situation with the 2021 earthquakes, which lasted up to eight months
A seismic swarm is the succession of a set of seismic events in a specific area over a period of time, which can occur over days, weeks, or even months. In the case of the episode five years ago, it was considered a seismic swarm because six earthquakes of magnitude 4 or higher were recorded without there being a main earthquake that could be classified as such, according to José Morales, researcher at the Andalusian University Institute of Geophysics and Seismic Disaster Prevention at the University of Granada, in statements to Europa Press.
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The researcher establishes differences between the behavior of both episodes. “In this case, what we are seeing is that there have been what seem to be some precursors of magnitude 3.7 and then a main earthquake, which was the one in the early hours of the 15th, with a magnitude of 4.8,” followed by aftershocks that have been decreasing so far, Morales assures. However, the appearance of new significant magnitude earthquakes, like the one this Tuesday, could tip the balance in favor of it being a seismic swarm.
In the 2021 episode, six earthquakes of magnitude 4 or higher were recorded, so researchers warn of the need to remain cautious, as it is still too early to make a comparative analysis with the current situation. The key will be in the coming days and whether similar magnitude earthquakes continue to occur indicating that these are linked events and not aftershocks of the same phenomenon. According to records, the episode five years ago lasted from January to August of the same year, that is, eight months of activity.
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