Sept. 12th, 2009 | Caracas - Venezuela

   Another seism, in a long  serie of underground movements this year, was registered on Saturday, measuring 6.2 on the Richter Magnitude Scale (RMS).    

     The telluric movement was very strong in the city capital of Caracas and the surrounding cities, as reported by many Geological Services. Acompanied by strong and abundantly rains, the seism was reporter by  official news agency ABN, to have the following stats:  6.2 RMS, duration 30 seconds,  time 15:37 local time, with an epicenter located some 100km (60 miles) North of the coast.

History: due to the big earthquake of 1967, all the construction standards are very taught in this country: the buildings are required to have a very solid structure to withstand earthquakes at least of a 7-7.5 grade magnitude. Richter Magnitude Scale (RMS) register the local energy released by a seism, from 1 to 10 on a logarithmic scale base. The energy scale (Charles Richter-Beno Gutemberg) was developed in 1935, at the California Institute of Technology.

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May 04th, 2009 | Caracas - Venezuela

5.4 RMS Seism in Venezuela In addition to the earthquakes in April  05th, almost a month later, on May 04th, 2009, a new seism was registered on the Richter scale of about 4.3 at 10:16 AM, in Greater Caracas area and La Victoria. (120km West of Caracas) In the very morning of the same day, May 04th, 2009, at 04:40am, another telluric event was registered, this time on the much superior 5.4 Richter Scale, with an epicenter in the Miranda Department (Estado Miranda), followed by four aftershocks in the mid 4.5. The main event (5.4 RS) was with for a duration of about 15 seconds. All the morning, seismic movements were felt in the Gran Caracas area, Los Teques, Aragua Department, Carabobo Department, and as far as Lara and Portuguesa Departments. Funvisis, the main Venezuelan seismic investigation foundation, reported no less than 14 after-shocks, after the main event of 5.4 RMS. No human or infrastructure damages were registered or reported.

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April 05th, 2009 | Caracas-Venezuela

4.3 and 4.4  (RMS) EARTHQUAKES IN VENEZUELA On April 05th, at 3:54PM, a 4.3  degrees earthquake on Richter Magnitude Scale (RMS) was registered and affected 6 states in Venezuela. The epicenter was North-East of La Guairá city and harbor, on the Caribbean. No human or infrastructure damages were registered. The population in Venezuela is very sensible to earthquakes, because the devastating seism registered at about 8:00PM, on 29th of July 1967. The 32 seconds-long earthquake, on the 6.5 degrees of the Richter Scale, those epicenter was at only 20 km. from Caracas, caused more than 300 deaths, 3,000+ injured and some $120 million (today value $800 millions) in infrastructure damages. More than 20 after-shocks were registered later. During this seismic event, on April 05th, 2009, many abandoned their houses and took refuge outside. Another earthquake was registered at 12:50AM, on April 06th, 2009, with a local magnitude of 4.4 degrees on the Richter Scale (RMS). The quake was active/registered in the central zone of the country, and  the epicenter was this time some 35km North-East of Moron (Carabobo), and 5.0km deep.

History: due to the big earthquake of 1967, all the construction standards are very taught in this country: the buildings are required to have a very solid structure to withstand earthquakes at least of a 7-7.5 grade magnitude. Richter Magnitude Scale (RMS) register the local energy released by a seism, from 1 to 10 on a logarithmic scale base. The energy scale (Charles Richter-Beno Gutemberg) was developed in 1935, at the California Institute of Technology. P.S. We extend our condolences to the families of the Italian earthquake in the city of L'Aquila | 6.3 degrees on RMS By

By Hedi Enghelberg | hedi@enghelberg.com

PICTURE: THE MAJESTIC MOUNT AVILA , CARACAS.