Magnitude 4.8 earthquake strikes Granada overnight, strongest in recent times, after Friday's 3.7 tremor

Friday evening tremor

On Friday 14 August at 18:43, an earthquake struck the metropolitan area of Granada. The Instituto Geográfico Nacional (IGN) revised the magnitude to 3.7 after an initial calculation, with the epicenter located northwest of La Zubia at a depth of 5 kilometers. Several outlets, including El Confidencial and La Razón, had initially reported the magnitude as 3.6. La Razón, citing EFE, reported the depth as 10 kilometers, while the IGN's revised calculation placed it at 5 kilometers. The quake was classified as intensity IV, meaning it was widely felt by people inside buildings but by few outside, with no reported damage.

The 112 emergency service of the Agencia Andaluza de Emergencias received calls from Granada city and municipalities including La Zubia, Churriana de la Vega, Las Gabias, Ogíjares, and Maracena. Emergency services conducted checks across affected areas and confirmed no personal or material damage. ABC reported the tremor struck at 18:44 and shook buildings in the capital, with an intensity that reminded residents of the seismic swarm of January 2021. El Confidencial noted that the tremor was of low intensity and only some residents of Villa de Otura, Ogíjares, and Las Gabias may have perceived it, though official confirmation of no damage was still pending at the time of its report.

Saturday's stronger quake

In the early hours of Saturday 15 August, a magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck at 1:04 AM with its epicenter in Alhendín, Granada, at a depth of 10 kilometers. This was the most powerful earthquake in the area in recent times, surpassing the 3.7 magnitude quake recorded on 26 July. Residents reported falling objects, moving furniture, and trembling doors and windows across nearly all municipalities of Granada and its metropolitan area.

The tremor was felt well beyond Granada province. In the north of the province, Huéscar reported feeling the quake. Coastal towns including Almuñécar, Salobreña, and Motril registered the tremor. The effects extended to localities in Jaén (Alcalá la Real, Linares, Jódar), the Almería coast (the capital, Roquetas, El Ejido, Adra), the Málaga coast (from Fuengirola and Torremolinos to Vélez), and Córdoba capital.

A month of persistent seismic activity

The 4.8 quake was the largest among four earthquakes recorded in the same metropolitan area of Granada. During Friday, seismometers also registered quakes of magnitude 2.3 and 3.7, which prompted alert calls from residents at various points across the province. El Confidencial reported that 23 tremors have been recorded in the zone so far in August, with three occurring in the last week alone.

ABC noted that seismic activity had already occurred in July at several points across the province, including Armilla, Gorafe, and Montillana, indicating that the seismic pattern in the region has persisted. The IGN maintains a macroseismic questionnaire, originally promoted by Fernando VI after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, through which citizens report their experiences during tremors, including what they were doing, their reaction, and whether surrounding objects moved. This data, combined with seismograph readings, allows the IGN to alert the population about earthquake intensity and estimate potential damage.