Earthquake(s) in northeastern Spain!

An earthquake ("terremoto") of 4.5 on the Richter scale was registered in the Navarra region this afternoon. No injuries resulted and only minor structural damage to some buildings were documented. Its epicenter was 30Km from Pamplona. Apparently today's was the THIRD and strongest earthquake in the region THIS WEEK!

Are earthquakes common in Spain in general or just in the north-east near the Pyrenees Mountains?

Saludos, MadridMan

Hi.

Earthquakes are fairly common in the Pyrenees and in southeastern Spain (especially Granada, Almería and Murcia).

Besides, once in a while (about every 200 years or so) there is a very large and catastrophic earthquake with epicenter in the Atlantic Ocean, southwest of the Peninsula, that is felt in the whole Iberian Peninsula. Historically, it has happened in 1755 (15,000 deaths; magnitude 8.5) and 1969 (19 deaths; magnitude 7.3). Other important earthquake happened in 1884 (Granada; 839 deaths).

For a list of the most important earthquakes registered in Spain, see the Spanish National Geographic Institute list (in spanish).