The tectonic plates that are located beneath the Earth are in constant motion. When two plates collide causes a failure, releasing large amounts of energy and produces the earthquake. "We are not in a particularly intense earthquakes," admits Luis Suarez, president of the Bar Association of Geologists (ICOG). But Smith acknowledged that Spain could suffer a destructive earthquake "forthcoming in the not too distant future."


"Today not yet have the tools to know exactly when it will result in an earthquake-indica-ICOG president so he resorts to historical statistics." According to the statistics the last major earthquake occurred on December 25, 1884 in Arenas del Rey, Granada, with a magnitude of between 6.5 and 6.7. 900 people died, 2,000 were injured and destroyed more than a thousand homes. Since then "almost every day there are microterremotos in southern Spain but none relevant, as they rarely exceed 4 degrees on the Richter scale," says Suárez




HIGHER RISK IN THE SOUTH

Indeed, in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, where there is an area of subduction between the Eurasian Plate and the African plate, the plate being in the middle of the Alboran Sea, concentrates the highest number of earthquakes. In particular in the provinces of Malaga, Almeria, Granada and Murcia but also in the Pyrenees, between Navarra and Huesca, there is another risk area, but less intense.

Still, "In our country we have a moderate level of seismic activity compared with other areas of the world," says Luis Suarez. The major earthquake that has taken place in Spain was in 1829 in Torrevieja, Alicante, with a magnitude of 6.9 on the Richter scale which killed 400 people. In the past 600 years have produced 10 major earthquakes in Spain.

Of an earthquake of this nature, "the damage is unavoidable, although Spain could face" secured "because in recent years have been applied rigorously anti-seismic measures on columns, beams and walls with stronger armor and reinforcements in the foundation . Furthermore, "has placed particular emphasis on applying sismorresistententes standards in new construction," the president of ICOG.