WEEKS of heavy rain across southern Spain have coincided with a series of small earthquakes in Andalucia, raising questions among residents about whether the two events could be connected.
Since the beginning of February, tremors have been recorded across parts of Malaga and Cadiz provinces, including areas near the Strait of Gibraltar.
While some have been felt by the population, experts stress that the activity is normal for the region and poses no risk.
According to researchers from the Spanish Geological and Mining Institute (IGME-CSIC), the earthquakes form part of a seismic swarm that began on February 3, spread across an area roughly 35 kilometres wide.
All of the tremors have been low in magnitude, with none exceeding 4.0.
To put this into context, earthquakes generally start to be felt by people at around magnitude 2.5 to 3.0, often as a light vibration or brief shaking.
Damage to buildings is unlikely below magnitude 5.0, which means the recent earthquakes, although noticeable in some towns, are considered harmless.
Despite their timing, scientists say there is no evidence linking the earthquakes to the recent rainfall.
“We have carried out multiple analyses and there is no link between the rains and the seismic activity beyond the fact that they occurred at the same time” IGME-CSIC researchers explained to Experts.
Examined factors such as soil permeability, underground water levels, fault locations and the depth of the earthquakes, but found no pattern to suggest the rain played any role.
They also pointed out that this is a tectonically active area, where similar earthquake swarms were recorded in 2018, 2020 and previous decades.
The National Geographic Institute confirmed that several tremors were felt by residents, including a 2.8-magnitude earthquake in Gaucín and another measuring 3.0.
Other small earthquakes were detected near the Strait of Gibraltar in towns such as Algeciras, La Línea de la Concepción and San Roque.
Emergency services acknowledge that the combination of flooding, storms and earthquakes can heighten public anxiety.
“When people are already on edge due to extreme weather, even minor ground movement can feel more intense,” experts said.
Along the same lines, 112 Andalucia and regional government officials have urged residents to rely only on official information and to ignore alarmist claims circulating on social media.
While some online theories suggest that large volumes of water could trigger earthquakes by increasing pressure underground, scientists insist this does not apply to the recent situation in Andalucia.
‘Rainfall does not create tectonic energy or generate new faults,’ IGME-CSIC stressed. ‘In this case, there is no evidence that the rain is significantly altering the stress within the Earth’s crust.’
Monitoring of the area is ongoing, but experts insist there are no warning signs of increased seismic risk.
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