Terrifying 'doublet' earthquakes add to California's seismic dangers. Venezuela shows the risks

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Set us as preferred The first earthquake, measuring magnitude 7.2, struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening with horrific force.But just 39 seconds after it started, an even more powerful magnitude 7.5 temblor struck, making a catastrophic disaster even worse.A seismic one-two punch, which seismologists call a “doublet,” has added to the unease over what is shaping up to be one of the Western Hemisphere’s worst quakes in years.While less known to the general public, doublet earthquakes have long been studied by seismologists.

Several have occurred in California, including major twin 1992 quakes in Southern California that prompted officials to issue an unprecedented public warning.“It’s obviously not the most common thing that happens with earthquakes, but it’s definitely not like an unusual physical phenomenon,” said Julian Lozos, an associate professor of geophysics at Cal State Northridge.The widespread destruction in Venezuela — with more than 500 dead and countless structures flattened — is expected to focus more attention on the seismic phenomenon and how to make buildings and infrastructure more resilience.

Turkey and Syria were devastated just three years ago, where a magnitude 7.8 earthquake, rupturing 220 miles of the East Anatolian fault, was followed nine hours later by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake on the Cardak fault, rupturing an additional 100 miles, according to the U.S.Geological Survey.

California The earthquakes in Turkey show how big quakes are more likely to cause big aftershocks far from the epicenter.The same could happen in California.The twin earthquakes, plus a dizzying number of substantial aftershocks, were a generational catastrophe, killing more than 50,000 people.

Scientists in California have been looking at what a devastating doublet sequence might look like.In Southern Califo...