Magnitude 6.2 earthquake hits southern Spain

[Haole Girl]

Source: heraldsun.com.au

A MAGNITUDE 6.2 quake hit southern Spain today about 25km to the southeast of the city of Granada.

The quake occurred at 12.08am local time (9.08am AEST) at a depth of about 616km near the Sierra Nevada mountain range, the US Geological Survey said.

There were no immediate report of damage or injuries.

Geophysicist Susan Potter told CNN: "When an earthquake is deeper, the seismic energy is absorbed by the earth, so there will be less damage expected in the epicentre area."

Read more: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/magnitude-62-earthquake-hits-southern-spain/story-e6frf7jx-1225852601138

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Luckily, this earthquake was a deeper one. Interesting, though, how many there have been recently.

[OhioChick]

1. Glad to hear there were no reports of injuries...

There sure have been a lot of earthquakes, lately. :(

[Warpy]

It's probably one of those ancient faults created when Africa

and Europe were joined with no Mediterranean sea between them. All those faults will be awakening as the continents shift under less glacier weight.

I'm glad this one was so deep. I hope most of them are.

[Stumbler]

11. I've been thinking along the same lines

While I'm no expert on geology, it seems likely that the warming of our planet can have effects on the stability of the tectonic plates. The melting of ice from the poles and mountain ranges exerts less pressure on landmasses like Greenland and Antarctica as well as the Andes range. At the same time, the rising ocean levels are exerting more pressure on the submerged oceanic plates. These changes might be minimal, but there could be some correlation.

[alphafemale]

2. They do seem to run in spurts.

I think since the plates all are resting together they may agitate each other...maybe? I've no clue. Not a geologist. But once there is ONE earthquake there does seem to be a number elsewhere.

[Blue_In_AK]

3. Whole lotta shakin' goin' on.

We had a couple of little ones here, too, within the past couple of weeks. Around 4.7-5.0.

[virgogal]

4. Love your username -----couple of my grandchildren are hapas.

[MiniMe]

5. I thought the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range was in California?

I guess I am geographically challenged

[Ecumenist]

6. It is and it's also in spain and in Mexica, if I remember correctly.

There's more than one sierra Nevada mountain range. You not challenged, goegraphically or otherwise.

[MiniMe]

7. Thank-you

I feel better :hi:

[Odin2005]

10. IIRC the ones in California were named after the ones in Spain.

[Joseph Tages]

8. So close to home...

Damn! I grew up in Cadiz and my parents almost moved to Granada at one point. We never had a quake while we were there and I haven't heard from friends left behind about enduring one in the ensuing years. I hope it occurred deep enough to not cause any trouble.

It seems like this is happening once or twice a month now: Haiti, Chile, Taiwan, Turkey, the USA, Indonesia, and now, Spain. There are no "safe" regions of the world anymore. It's almost like our planet is angry and trying to shake people off due to all the crap we keep doing to it and each other.

[dipsydoodle]

9. Just imagine

if the Straits of Gibralter were to be sealed off as has happened in the past leaving the Mediterranean as the world's largest salt lake.