Colombia recorded a strong earthquake on August 10, 2026, with its epicenter in the San José del Palmar region, located on the country’s Pacific coast. The tremor reached magnitude 7.4, according to the United States Geological Survey, and its tremors were widely felt in several Colombian cities. This incident occurs just a few months after Venezuela was the scene of intense earthquakes in June, which caused the death of more than 1,700 people and affected two Brazilian citizens.
Despite the proximity and severity of seismic events in neighboring countries, Brazil was predominantly spared the most serious impacts. In Brazilian territory, only light shocks were recorded in locations such as Manaus and Belém. The main reason for Brazil’s lower vulnerability is intrinsically linked to its privileged geographic position, located in the center of a tectonic plate.
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Brazil’s position protects it from major seismic shocks
Brazil is located in the heart of the South American plate, one of the vast rock formations that make up the Earth’s crust. This central location, far from the margins where the plates meet and suffer constant friction, is the determining factor for earthquakes being felt with less intensity in the country. Being away from convergent plate boundaries offers a natural defense against the most destructive earthquakes. Geographer Anderson Andrade, a researcher at the Mackenzie Institute, explains that “Brazil is right in the middle of the tectonic plate, and earthquakes happen much closer to the extremes of the plates, at the convergent limits. We are far from these limits.”
Understanding the Constant Movement of Tectonic Plates
The Earth’s crust is made up of gigantic tectonic plates, which fit together like a mosaic and are in continuous movement. Sergio Ribeiro Santos, geographer and historian, professor at Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, draws a parallel between the Earth’s surface and a “turtle shell, with several pieces fitting together”. These plates can move at speeds of up to 10 centimeters per year, driven by the high temperatures of the planet’s core.
Geographer Sergio de Moraes Paulo, master from the University of São Paulo (USP), details that the movement of plates becomes more evident in the “contact areas”, where one plate meets another. Persistent friction between these rock formations accumulates a large amount of energy, which is suddenly released when the rocks break. This energetic release is what generates the characteristic vibrations of earthquakes.
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The influence of the Andes Mountains on tremors in South America
Countries neighboring Brazil, especially those located close to the Andes Mountains, are in regions of direct contact between two tectonic plates: the South American plate and the Nazca plate. The collision between these two large rock masses, which resulted in the formation of the imposing Andes mountain range, is the cause of the intense earthquakes that affect the western portion of South America.
Antonio Eduardo Giansante, engineer and professor at Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, summarizes that “the Andean countries of South America, just to the west, are in contact between two large tectonic plates.” He adds that any movement between them causes tremors and, if it is more intense, results in an earthquake. Although these tremors can reach Brazil, their strength decreases considerably due to the country’s central position on the South American plate, making them weaker and less impactful.
Earthquakes recorded in Brazilian territory
Despite its lower susceptibility to violent tremors, Brazil is not completely free from seismic activity. Data from the Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of São Paulo (USP) indicate that the country has recorded approximately 100 earthquakes in the current century. Most of these events had almost imperceptible effects on the population. The Richter scale, used to measure the intensity of earthquakes, classifies only earthquakes that exceed 7 degrees as destructive.
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- Some of the most significant records in Brazil include:
- 1955:Earthquakes of 6.6 degrees in Mato Grosso and 6.3 degrees in Espírito Santo, considered the most intense ever measured in the country.
- 1980:A seismic shock of 5.2 degrees registered in Ceará.
- 1983:A 5.5 magnitude earthquake detected in the state of Amazonas.
- 2007:A 6.1-degree tremor was felt on the border between Acre and Amazonas, and another of 4.9 degrees in Minas Gerais.
- 2008:An earthquake of 5.2 degrees was felt in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Paraná and Santa Catarina, generating considerable repercussions.
- 2018:Reflections of an earthquake in Bolivia were noticed in several areas of Brazil.
- June 11, 2026:Three small tremors, with the largest reaching 3.5 degrees of magnitude, occurred in the Tucuruí region, in Pará, according to measurements from the USP Seismology Center.
These records show that lower intensity earthquakes are relatively common in Brazil. However, news coverage generally focuses on the strongest events with visible consequences. Geographer Paulo observes that “we end up only hearing about the most intense ones, which generate impressive images”.