¡CUANDO LA TIERRA TIEMBLA! ¿ESTAMOS PREPARADOS?

Training course

The training course for teachers is part of the ERASMUS+ project on seismic and/or volcanic risks in four European countries, Spain, Greece, Italy and France, which takes place during this and next academic year. This European project is coordinated by the Department of Biology and Geology of the IES José Marín de Vélez Rubio, funded by the European Union and is named “¡CUANDO LA TIERRA TIEMBLA! ¿ESTAMOS PREPARADOS?”

The group of participating teachers (Diego Gea from Vélez Rubio (Spain), Christos Belokas from Pelopio (Greece), Nicola Rainone from Montesarchio (Italy), Serge Paupy from Pointe Noiere (Guadalupe. France)) comes from institutes located in areas exposed to this type of geological risks.

The Italian center in Montesarchio locality near the active volcano Vesuvio and the supervolcano Campi Flegrei; The French next to the active volcano La Soufrière on the island of the French Antilles of Guadeloupe; Greek is affected by the seismicity and volcanism of the Hellenic Arc where the volcanoes of Santorini and Methana are located; And Vélez, a region located in the Spanish southeast affected by active faults that have caused serious earthquakes such as that of Lorca of 2011 or Vélez Rubio of 1751 and with an inactive volcanism in the area of ​​Cabo de Gata.

During the week that has lasted the course has analyzed the historical earthquake of 1751 that ravaged the region of the Vélez, visiting the castle of Vélez Blanco damaged by the earthquake, the Cave of Ambrosio Paleolithic and the Signs of the Neolithic with paintings Rupestres drawn in planes of fault, and the church of the Incarnation of Vélez Rubio constructed after the collapse of another previous one as a result of this seism.

In Lorca, Professor Juan A. López Martín has analyzed the earthquakes of May 11, 2011 in Lorca, imparting the lecture “lessons learned from the earthquakes of May 11, 2011 in Lorca”, developing the workshop the earthquake machine and The project ESLORCA (Seismic Education in Lorca), seismic cycle of a fault, characterization of Lorca faults, prediction and prevention of earthquakes, damage to buildings and management response. Preventive measures and simulacra at the Ramón Arcas High School. Finishing the stay in Lorca with the analysis in situ of the fault of Alhama as it passes through Lorca.

Subsequently the group of teachers moved to the Andalusian Institute of Geophysics of the University of Granada, where the Seismic Record Unit of the Andalusian Seismic Network was observed, and professors José Morales, Mercedes Feriche and Francisco J. Almendros gave lectures on earthquakes and Seismic hazard, volcanoes and volcanic hazards and seismic prevention. Also visited the spectacular active fault of the municipality of Nigüelas and the old and present enclave of Arenas del Rey town that was the macro-seismic epicenter of the earthquake of Andalusia of 1884. In this town have been able to appreciate the first seismic measures applied to the reconstruction realized in Spain. In the Tajos de Alhama de Granada, the seismic effects associated with the terrain have also been observed: amplification, landslides, avalanches, etc.

The course has finished with the analysis of the inactive volcanism of the Natural Park and Geopark of Cabo de Gata-Níjar, studying the volcanic breccias of the beach of Mónsul, the volcanic caldera of Rodalquilar and the associated mining context and the volcanic cliffs of the beach of Punta Baja. This activity has been guided by geologist David Monge of Geologist & Wildlife (GEOGATA).