Earthquakes in Colombia: 10 changes occurring underground

It's been a month since a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the department of Cundinamarca, Colombia, with its epicenter in the municipalities of Paratebueno and Medina. This earthquake caused significant damage in the areas where it was most powerful.

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Therefore, the Colombian Geological Service (SGC) emphasized that earthquakes are short-lived events, but their impact on the soil and subsoil can last for days, weeks, or even months.

With this, SGC experts explained the 10 things that typically happen underground after a strong earthquake like the one reported on June 8, 2025. This ranges from seismic waves when an earthquake occurs to visible effects on the surface.

What are the 10 things that happen after an earthquake?

According to experts, the first situation that occurs after an earthquake is the readjustment of the Earth's crust, which releases all the energy that has accumulated underground. This shaking can therefore result in the displacement of parts of the crust along fault planes. However, this release does not mark the end of the process: after the main event, the rocks must readjust to adjust to this temporary change in internal stresses.

Another process is the generation of aftershocks, which generally occur after the main event and are part of the natural process of adjusting the stresses that gave rise to the earthquake.

There are also effects on nearby geological faults, as they can modify tectonic stresses in the epicentral zone (the area of ​​the Earth's surface directly above the earthquake's source), transmitting stresses to nearby faults that could generate future earthquakes. A fourth factor is the detachment of unstable materials on slopes, as earthquakes can cause changes in the natural balance of slopes, generating different types of mass movements such as landslides, rock slides, and rock falls.

In addition, there is soil compaction and liquefaction. When an earthquake occurs in areas with water-saturated soils, such as floodplains or coastal plains, the vibration can cause soil grains—especially sand —to lose contact with each other. This causes the soil to briefly lose its firmness and behave like a fluid, in a process known as liquefaction. As a result, these can occur.

Cracking and fracturing of the ground are present. According to experts, these are common in areas with soft alluvial deposits or saturated soils. These fissures can even affect paved roads, causing visible damage to asphalt or cobblestone paths.

Recommended: 80% of a town in Paratebueno must be rebuilt after the earthquake

The seventh point is the release of trapped gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen sulfide, radon, and others. Hydrological anomalies and hydrogeological effects are found due to the vibration of the ground during an earthquake. This can generate anomalies in the water flow, causing variations in the level of wells, changes in the flow of springs, or even the appearance of new springs on the surface.

Another situation that arises is an anomalous swell, after the agitation caused by the shaking of the ground can cause abnormal waves and overflows of ponds, lakes, reservoirs and rivers, the waves caused can exceed one meter in height.

Finally, other effects can occur when the shaking is very strong. The shaking of trees and vegetation can cause branches to break and fall. Sometimes, trunks can be uprooted and fall, especially on steep slopes.

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