The National Center for Seismological Research (CENAIS) warned this Tuesday that, although 1,943 aftershocks have been recorded from the earthquakes that occurred on November 10 southeast of Pilón in Granma, the alert about a possible major earthquake on November 12 is false.
Dr. Enrique Diego Arango Arias, head of the National Seismological Service at CENAIS, reported on Facebook that as of 2:00 PM this Tuesday, "a total of 1,943 aftershocks from the earthquakes recorded on November 10 have been registered."
Regarding the false alert that circulated among the population about the purported occurrence of a major earthquake this Tuesday, Dr. C. Arango described those who spread this information as irresponsible.
"Today, irresponsible individuals have been claiming that a strong earthquake will occur in this city in the coming hours, causing panic in schools, workplaces, buildings, and other public places," he pointed out.
The seismologist insisted that this information is completely false because "earthquakes cannot be predicted in the short or medium term."
Furthermore, he emphasized that in the event of any seismic alert, CENAIS, along with state authorities and Civil Defense, will be responsible for providing official and timely information to the public to prevent the spread of unfounded rumors.
This Sunday, following the premonitory earthquake of magnitude 6.0 and a main event of 6.7, various opinions circulated among the population, including the belief that this seismic activity could be related to the passage of hurricanes or the activation of thermoelectric plants.
Eberto Hernández Suró, a geologist and seismologist with over three decades dedicated to the study of seismic activity in the country, particularly in Granma, stated to La Demajagua that “the movements of tectonic plates are the main cause of these tremors.”
He also noted that "external factors, such as recent hurricanes, do not influence the generation of earthquakes."
Nonetheless, he acknowledged that there have been debates in the past regarding the possible interaction between climatic and seismic events. However, he emphasized that "the general conclusion is that seismic phenomena are of tectonic origin and that any coincidence with other natural events is merely that—a coincidence."
This Monday, Dr. Arango addressed the remarks made by American geologist Grenville Draper regarding the recent seismic events recorded on Sunday southeast of Pilón, in the province of Granma.
Draper, a researcher at Florida International University (FIU), made several statements to Telemundo 51 in which he affirmed that “there is a main earthquake followed by smaller tremors. So more may follow. And I would advise residents to try to avoid being in buildings that could be damaged by the first major earthquake.”
He also said, “There may be small tremors. Generally, the pattern is that there are smaller aftershocks. Occasionally, there may be larger aftershocks, but that is not very common.”
These assertions prompted Dr. C. Arango, who has spent decades studying and dedicating himself to seismology in Cuba, to provide some clarifications.
"Never is a aftershock greater than the main earthquake. It is incorrect to say this. The 6.0 magnitude earthquake was a precursor to the 6.7 magnitude earthquake that was recorded later," noted Arango.
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