ARCHIVED - Expert warns of grade 6 earthquake risk in Alicante

The Valencia region, in particular Alicante province, is considered an area at “significant seismic risk”

For more than a month, Alicante province has experienced tremors every two days, and a sesimic expert from the Valencia university has now warned the region could experience an earthquake of magnitude six or higher on the Richter scale.

Whilst the quakes have been low or moderate in terms of seismicity, and the region is “constantly monitored for activity”, professor Francisco García from the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) claims that “historic earthquakes of catastrophic character” could be repeated, although it’s “not known when”.

The area with a “significant” seismic risk includes the south of the province of Valencia and the entire province of Alicante, particularly the Vega Baja area, where there are active Quaternary faults that are “of concern”.

The region has experienced three historical earthquakes that “have been very catastrophic”, explained the professor, one in Tavernes de Valldigna, another in the Montesa-Enguera area, and the most recent, which occurred in the 19th century, in Torrevieja.

They were of intensity level 10 which measures the damage caused by the earthquake, since the magnitude of earthquakes (which refers to energy) did not begin to be measured until the 20th century.

“Catastrophic earthquakes have already happened and they could happen again but nobody knows when,” said Garcia, adding: “The most prone and active is the so-called Bético, south of Valencia and Alicante. We expect earthquakes of large magnitudes, six and above on the Richter scale. If the previous ones have been of such great destructive quantity, it is possible they could be repeated, considering they are the same faults.”

Image: IGN