Peru earthquake raises concern about activity along the Ring of Fire
COACHELLA VALLEY, Calif. (KESQ) - A powerful earthquake in Peru is hitting close to home for members of the Coachella Valley’s Peruvian community, as families and friends check on loved ones following Thursday’s 6.7-magnitude quake.
Connie Ludena, a Palm Springs resident, says her loved ones were relieved the earthquake did not cause widespread damage.
“They are glad the earthquake didn’t affect many families because it happened on a mountain so there wasn’t any construction or buildings that were damaged,” Ludena said. "My friends and family are concerned more about the aftershock.”
But Peru is not the only country in the region that has experienced recent earthquake activity.
Recent earthquakes in Colombia and Venezuela have also left members of the local South American community watching closely and worrying about loved ones.
Robert de Groot, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, says the timing of the earthquakes is more coincidence than connection.
South America sits along active seismic belts, where earthquakes can occur in different countries within a relatively short period of time.
“In some ways all earthquake have some relationship to one another because they’re driven by the same forces," said de Groot.
The recent activity is also drawing attention here in Southern California because the Coachella Valley sits in a seismically active region along the Pacific Ring of Fire. The Ring of Fire stretches around much of the Pacific Ocean and includes areas where several tectonic plates meet, producing frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.
That has some local residents wondering whether the recent earthquakes in South America could signal increased earthquake activity here.
“There is really no direct connection to the earthquakes happening in Peru, Colombia and Venezuela," said de Groot. “That doesn’t mean that these faults [in Southern California] could have an earthquake that could be sizable and cause a lot of damage.”
As communities across South America recover, local families are continuing to check on relatives and support those affected.
There are also local efforts underway to support earthquake recovery efforts in the region.
Stay with News Channel 3 for more.
