The tsunami triggered by the 24 June 2026 Venezuela earthquakes: tectonic context and tsunami modelling

<title>Abstract</title> <p>On 24 June 2026, a seismic event struck Venezuela, generating a tsunami that was observed and filmed at Malecón de Choroní, with an estimated crest-to-trough amplitude of about 1.3 m. Despite the sparse Caribbean sea-level gauge network and the absence of any operational sea-level gauge in Venezuela since 1994, tsunami signals were identified at 13 regional stations and suspected at 7 others, in the Greater and Lesser Antilles, with amplitudes reaching up to ~ 10 cm at some locations. The event was simulated using the COMCOT numerical model under five source scenarios: three uniform-slip ruptures derived from USGS focal mechanisms (Segment 1, Segment 2, and both segments combined) and two finite-fault models (FFM USGS and FFM Delouis). The uniform-slip scenarios markedly underestimate the observed amplitudes, whereas the finite-fault models, particularly the FFM USGS, reproduce the regional waveforms arrival times and amplitudes in a relatively satisfactory way, notably at the coastal gauges of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Locally, near the source, the simulated amplitudes reach more than 1 m in some specific locations along the Venezuelan coast, and maximum current speeds reach up to about 1 m/s. The discrepancies between simulated and observed amplitudes and currents suggest that local coastal effects, insufficient grid resolution, and/or a possible contribution from a submarine landslide may have added to the tsunami beyond what coseismic deformation alone can explain.</p>