Terrifying 'doublet' earthquakes add to California's seismic dangers. Venezuela shows the risks
Key takeaways
- The first earthquake, measuring magnitude 7.2, struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening with horrific force.
- A seismic one-two punch, which seismologists call a “doublet,” has added to the unease over what is shaping up to be one of the Western Hemisphere’s worst quakes in years.
- While less known to the general public, doublet earthquakes have long been studied by seismologists.
People grieving on the streets of Belo Campo, Caracas, Venezuela (Carlos Becerra/For The Times) By Rong-Gong Lin II Staff Writer Follow June 26, 2026 8:12 AM PT 8 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
See more from the L.A. Times in Google Search. Set us as preferred. The first earthquake, measuring magnitude 7.2, struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening with horrific force. But just 39 seconds after it started, an even more powerful magnitude 7.5 temblor struck, making a catastrophic disaster even worse.
A seismic one-two punch, which seismologists call a “doublet,” has added to the unease over what is shaping up to be one of the Western Hemisphere’s worst quakes in years.