The science and prophecy behind recent earthquakes

In recent months, several high-magnitude earthquakes have been recorded in different regions of the world, such as Venezuela, Japan, Colombia, and Indonesia. This recent succession of tremors has caught people's attention and raised questions about the level of seismic activity on the planet.

Global tectonic activity

The Earth's surface is fragmented into tectonic plates that move continuously, typically at speeds of a few centimeters per year. Over years, decades, or centuries, stress builds up along their boundaries until the strength limit of the rocks is exceeded, resulting in a sudden rupture that generates an earthquake. However, this process is not synchronized on a global scale, and faults in different locations respond to very different tectonic contexts.

Chance and the perception of tremors

The short scientific answer is that we have no evidence that the Earth is going through a phase of increased global tectonic activity. The fact that several large earthquakes coincided within a few weeks is fundamentally a matter of chance. There can be periods with multiple major events and others that are relatively quiet, without the global rate of seismic activity actually changing.

Aftershocks and seismic doublets

The situation changes when we scale down, as after a major earthquake, it is common for numerous smaller-magnitude tremors to occur in the same region, known as aftershocks. In addition, seismic doublets can occur, in which two earthquakes of comparable magnitude happen with nearby epicenters and separated by a short interval of time, as in the recent case recorded in Venezuela.

The impact on populated areas

On average, about 16 earthquakes of magnitude 7 or greater occur worldwide each year, but many go unnoticed because they happen deep in the ocean or far from inhabited areas. What makes the recent succession especially striking is the fact that several earthquakes affected populated areas and caused significant damage, enormously increasing our perception of risk without there being an actual increase in global tectonic activity.

Prophecies and expectations for the future

About 2,000 years ago, Jesus prophesied that there would be great earthquakes in one place after another during the last days. For many people, these events hold a special meaning, associated with the proximity of the Kingdom of God to bring peace and end suffering and devastating earthquakes on Earth.

With information from O GLOBO, JW.ORG.