Linea Directa 200 LEFT COL CAR INSURANCE

PROPERTY SEARCH

Date Published: 05/08/2026

Could Murcia's recent earthquakes trigger a larger disaster?

Researchers stress there's no cause for alarm, but they're analysing whether the tremors could have affected the fault responsible for the devastating 2011 Lorca earthquake

After two earthquakes in the Region of Murcia in the space of just three days, seismologists are now studying whether the tremors could have had any effect on the Alhama de Murcia Fault, the fault line linked to the devastating 2011 Lorca earthquake.

The first quake, which struck on Sunday August 2, measured 4.1 and was felt across much of the Region as well as parts of Alicante and Albacete. It was followed in the early hours of Tuesday morning by a smaller 2.5-magnitude tremor near Albudeite. Neither earthquake caused any injuries or significant damage.

Although the two recent earthquakes did not occur directly on the Alhama Fault itself, experts believe they originated on a much smaller fault nearby, close to Barqueros.

Geologist Raúl Pérez López, a researcher at the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME-CSIC), explained that this smaller fault is limited in size.

"The good thing about this segment is that it lacks geological continuity and isn't very large, so it doesn't have the capacity to trigger major earthquakes," he said.

Even so, scientists are now carrying out further studies to understand whether the recent movement could have transferred stress to the much larger Alhama Fault.

Earthquakes in the Region in the last 30 days

Pérez López explained that the earthquakes "could stimulate the Alhama fault", although that doesn't mean a larger earthquake is expected. Instead, researchers want to understand whether the recent tremors changed the pressure deep underground.

To find out, the IGME is creating computer models to see how the stress beneath the Region may have shifted following the earthquakes.

Scientists are also using highly sensitive monitoring equipment capable of detecting tiny underground movements that people never feel. The aim is to build a clearer picture of how faults behave over time and improve understanding of seismic activity in the Region.

Pérez López said Sunday's earthquake was unusual because it was not immediately followed by a series of aftershocks. When Tuesday's smaller tremor occurred, he believed it was linked to the first earthquake but said he doesn't expect it to have "much further repercussions."

Even without any damage, he acknowledged the recent earthquakes have understandably made many people nervous because of the Region's history.

"This means that all of us who work on this topic are monitoring this earthquake. We're creating a stress change model and trying to see if there are any geological manifestations of new faults that we're unaware of," he said.

The Alhama Fault stretches for around 87 kilometres through the Region of Murcia and is one of the most active fault systems in south-eastern Spain. It was responsible for the magnitude 5.1 Lorca earthquake in May 2011, which claimed nine lives, injured hundreds of people and caused widespread damage.

For now, scientists stress there is no indication that a larger earthquake is imminent, but the recent tremors have provided an important opportunity to learn more about one of the Region's most closely watched fault systems.

Images: IGME / IGN

Linea Directa Bottom Article M-Z CAR INSURANCE

Address

Covering throughout Murcia, Costa Blanca, Almeria and Costa del Sol

Tel: +34 850993849
Mobile: +34 711067959 / 711080462

View Website

Facebook

A full range of individually tailored care services in Andalucía, Murcia, Alicante and all over Spain

Angels Nursing Care is one of the largest nursing agencies in southern Spain, caring for and supporting British and international expats living in this country, and is a fully registered and regulated medical company under Spanish law.

Angels Nursing Care supporting expats throughout Spain The mission of Angels is to provide you with a better quality of life and wellbeing, providing a support structure you can turn to at any time and enabling you to be as independent as possible for as long as possible with as much or as little support as you require. The company is based in the province of Almería but the network of carers offers support all over southern Spain, including the Costa Cálida in Murcia, the Costa del Sol in Málaga and the Costa Blanca in Alicante, reaching not only the coast itself but also inland areas.

6 Years Later

We have been clients of Angels for over 6 years, first when we lived in Almería (In the Community) and now in Sensara (Independent Living) in Benalmádena in the Costa Del Sol. During that time we have received from Angels dedicated nurses and carers emotional, physical and medical care, plus support dealing with Spanish authorities that we, as a couple, have needed through a progressive illness, ocular surgery and major spinal surgery without losing any of our independence.

Mr & Mrs K

Angels Nursing Care supporting expats throughout Spain Providing personal care are a large network of carefully selected healthcare and medical professionals who strive to improve the quality of life of those who need care at home: they all share the belief that caring for you is a privilege, ensuring that the care provided is all about you.

After years of experience the service provided by Angels carers also guarantees that you can rely on full privacy, dignity and respect, with the services offered including the following:

Pre- and post-operative care
Respite care
Palliative care
Live-in care
Support while in hospital
Personal care
Care management
Illness and disease advice
Home help
Medication administration
Medication advice
Dressing changes

These are just some of the services offered, but with the experience in helping families with support all carers are aware that each client has individual needs, customize their services accordingly.

We would like to put on record our appreciation of the support we have received from the team at Angels Nursing Group. Our thanks go not only to the nursing staff for their unstinting care of Eve in our home, but also to the admin staff for their invaluable assistance in interfacing with the Spanish health service both in Albox and Huercal Overa on our behalf. Without the Angels team around us we would have had great difficulty in coping.

Mr & Mrs G

Angels Nursing Care supporting expats throughout Spain

To learn more about reliable, professional and individually tailored care services contact Angels Nursing Care for a free initial assessment with the clinical lead nurse.