Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands lie at the boundary between the Caribbean and North Americanplates, making these territories prone to earthquakes.[1] This is a highly active seismic region both surrounded and traversed by numerous fault lines; to the north, the North American plate subducts into the Caribbean plate, while a number of transform fault lines cross the main island of Puerto Rico diagonally from southeast to northeast. Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are also located on a microplate that is continuously being trampled by the subduction zone to the north. Puerto Rico is constantly prone to experiencing major earthquakes, superior to 7.0, at any moment.[2]
Map showing the epicenters of all the magnitude 5 and greater earthquakes in the eastern region of the Caribbean for the last 100 years. Filled circle color indicates depth and circle size indicates magnitude. The five biggest, most destructive, earthquakes of the last 250 years with magnitudes of 7 and greater are shown by stars.
Map showing epicenters of M≥5 earthquakes up to February 4, 2020, in the 2019–2020 Puerto Rico swarm sequence of earthquakes.
The region has been seismically active since ancient times. The Great Northern and Great Southern fault zones that cross the main island of Puerto Rico laterally have been active since the Eocene epoch. Earthquakes in the region have been recorded since the early 17th century and some of the first seismic activity in the Americas were recorded first in Puerto Rico and Hispaniola. One of the first recorded earthquakes in the region was on September 8, 1615, which originated in the Dominican Republic region and caused damage throughout the island.[2] Earthquakes have been studied and recorded in Puerto Rico since the 20th century. The Puerto Rico Seismic Network (Red Sísmica de Puerto Rico or RSPR), which is contained within the department of Geology of the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, was established in 1974 by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the former Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA). It was established with the goal evaluating seismic features for the purpose of building nuclear power plants in the region. Its mission today is to detect, process and study seismic activity within the Puerto Rico region. The RSPR operates 25 seismometers throughout Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands. Two of these seismometers are owned by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.[3]
On average, there are about 5 earthquakes recorded per day and about 3 earthquakes with magnitude 5.0 higher recorded per year in the region.[4] Given that most of the active faults are located at sea, most earthquakes in the region do not cause loss of life or significant damage, and significant destructive earthquakes that occur in Puerto Rico are rare. Most large earthquakes have historically occurred at sea which makes the area susceptible to destructive tsunamis. The last tsunami to cause significant damage in Puerto Rico was on October 11, 1918 which was generated by the 1918 Aguadilla earthquake. There have been more recent tsunami events, such as in 1946, which did not cause significant damage to the island. The last earthquakes to cause loss of life were the 2020 southwestern Puerto Rico sequence of earthquakes which caused 4 deaths. The last earthquake to cause significant damage and loss of life in the Virgin Islands occurred in 1867; this earthquake generated a tsunami that affected the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Notable earthquakes in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islandsedit
Unknown epicenter, it destroyed Ponce's cathedral. The fact that it did not cause significant damage in Yauco, San Germán and Lajas suggests it was a small event localized close to Ponce.
Possibly the strongest earthquake to have hit Puerto Rico since the European colonization. It was strongly felt throughout the island and major damage was reported everywhere except for in the south (although there were minor damage in colonial buildings in Ponce). It destroyed several government buildings, parts of El Morro and other fortifications and walls in San Juan, the cathedral and colonial buildings in Arecibo, and historical buildings in Bayamón, Mayagüez and Toa Baja.
*Contemporary research bestows the possibility that it was not a single 8.0 event but multiple earthquakes ranging from 6.4 to 7.3.
Said to be the strongest earthquake to have hit Salinas since the town's founding where it caused minor localized damage. It was also felt in Aguas Buenas.
Felt strongly throughout Puerto Rico and as far as the Dominican Republic and Saint Thomas. Only damage in San Juan was reported, where it caused fissures in the cathedral walls.
$4–29 million USD in damage. Damage and injuries were reported throughout the island. Several aftershocks were registered after the main shock, particularly a 6.5 aftershock that occurred the following year.
Large earthquake centered in the Samaná Peninsula of the Dominican Republic.
*All deaths occurred in the Dominican Republic. No deaths or injuries was reported in Puerto Rico. Localized damaged was however reported throughout the island. A small tsunami was recorded in Mayagüez, Aguadilla and as far away in San Juan and even Daytona Beach, FL and Atlantic City, NJ. This is the largest earthquake to have hit the Caribbean region in the 20th century. It was followed by numerous aftershocks, the largest being 7.4 registered 4 days after the main shock.
Felt throughout Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and the US and British Islands. It is colloquially known as the 2010 Moca earthquake. It caused minor damage in the western and northwestern regions of Puerto Rico, and a minor landslide that affected a portion of PR-111. It is the largest Puerto Rican earthquake to have occurred in land in recent times.
Felt throughout Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. It is colloquially known as the 2010 Aguas Buenas earthquake or the "2010 Nochebuena earthquake" (2010 Christmas Eve earthquake). It caused minor damage throughout the island and localized power outages throughout the Caguas and San Juan regions. It is the largest earthquake to directly hit the San Juan Metropolitan region in recent times.
Felt throughout Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. It produced several aftershocks of which the September 26 one was the largest (5.1) and also resulted in minor localized damage.
First notable temblor in the earthquake swarm sequence of shocks that affected the southwestern portion of Puerto Rico from December 2019 throughout 2020.
Strongest in the earthquake swarm sequence of shocks that affected the southwestern portion of Puerto Rico from December 2019 throughout 2020. It caused significant damage and power outages throughout the island.
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzaa"Terremotos en Puerto Rico | EcoExploratorio: Museo de Ciencias de Puerto Rico". Retrieved 2021-09-11.
^"Red Sísmica de Puerto Rico". redsismica.uprm.edu. Retrieved 2021-09-11.
^"Red Sísmica de Puerto Rico". redsismica.uprm.edu. Retrieved 2021-09-11.
^"Significant Earthquakes on a major fault system in Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Lesser Antilles, 1500–2010: Implications for Seismic Hazard". www.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
^"M 5.0 – 63 km NNW of San Antonio, Puerto Rico". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
^"M 5.5 – 84 km NNE of Cruz Bay, U.S. Virgin Islands". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
External linksedit
Puerto Rico Seismic Network / Red Sísmica de Puerto Rico – RSPR
Puerto Rico Earthquakes – USGS
December 08, 2023
list, earthquakes, puerto, rico, puerto, rico, virgin, islands, boundary, between, caribbean, north, american, plates, making, these, territories, prone, earthquakes, this, highly, active, seismic, region, both, surrounded, traversed, numerous, fault, lines, n. Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands lie at the boundary between the Caribbean and North American plates making these territories prone to earthquakes 1 This is a highly active seismic region both surrounded and traversed by numerous fault lines to the north the North American plate subducts into the Caribbean plate while a number of transform fault lines cross the main island of Puerto Rico diagonally from southeast to northeast Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are also located on a microplate that is continuously being trampled by the subduction zone to the north Puerto Rico is constantly prone to experiencing major earthquakes superior to 7 0 at any moment 2 Map showing the epicenters of all the magnitude 5 and greater earthquakes in the eastern region of the Caribbean for the last 100 years Filled circle color indicates depth and circle size indicates magnitude The five biggest most destructive earthquakes of the last 250 years with magnitudes of 7 and greater are shown by stars Contents 1 History 2 Notable earthquakes in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksHistory edit nbsp Map showing epicenters of M 5 earthquakes up to February 4 2020 in the 2019 2020 Puerto Rico swarm sequence of earthquakes The region has been seismically active since ancient times The Great Northern and Great Southern fault zones that cross the main island of Puerto Rico laterally have been active since the Eocene epoch Earthquakes in the region have been recorded since the early 17th century and some of the first seismic activity in the Americas were recorded first in Puerto Rico and Hispaniola One of the first recorded earthquakes in the region was on September 8 1615 which originated in the Dominican Republic region and caused damage throughout the island 2 Earthquakes have been studied and recorded in Puerto Rico since the 20th century The Puerto Rico Seismic Network Red Sismica de Puerto Rico or RSPR which is contained within the department of Geology of the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez was established in 1974 by the United States Geological Survey USGS and the former Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority PREPA It was established with the goal evaluating seismic features for the purpose of building nuclear power plants in the region Its mission today is to detect process and study seismic activity within the Puerto Rico region The RSPR operates 25 seismometers throughout Puerto Rico the US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands Two of these seismometers are owned by the United States Army Corps of Engineers 3 On average there are about 5 earthquakes recorded per day and about 3 earthquakes with magnitude 5 0 higher recorded per year in the region 4 Given that most of the active faults are located at sea most earthquakes in the region do not cause loss of life or significant damage and significant destructive earthquakes that occur in Puerto Rico are rare Most large earthquakes have historically occurred at sea which makes the area susceptible to destructive tsunamis The last tsunami to cause significant damage in Puerto Rico was on October 11 1918 which was generated by the 1918 Aguadilla earthquake There have been more recent tsunami events such as in 1946 which did not cause significant damage to the island The last earthquakes to cause loss of life were the 2020 southwestern Puerto Rico sequence of earthquakes which caused 4 deaths The last earthquake to cause significant damage and loss of life in the Virgin Islands occurred in 1867 this earthquake generated a tsunami that affected the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Notable earthquakes in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands editDate Name Area Mag MMI Deaths Injuries Total damage notes1615 09 08 Hispaniola Dominican Republic One of the oldest recorded earthquakes in the Puerto Rico and Caribbean region It affected Hispaniola and caused damage in Puerto Rico 5 2 1670 08 15 Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Unknown epicenter it caused damage in San Juan and San German at the time the largest settlements in Puerto Rico 2 1717 Arecibo Puerto Rico Unknown epicenter it destroyed the Arecibo Cathedral and several important colonial buildings in San German 2 1717 08 30 Puerto Rico Puerto Rico VII Unknown epicenter it destroyed Ponce s cathedral The fact that it did not cause significant damage in Yauco San German and Lajas suggests it was a small event localized close to Ponce 2 1787 05 02 Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Trench 8 0 8 5 IX Possibly the strongest earthquake to have hit Puerto Rico since the European colonization It was strongly felt throughout the island and major damage was reported everywhere except for in the south although there were minor damage in colonial buildings in Ponce It destroyed several government buildings parts of El Morro and other fortifications and walls in San Juan the cathedral and colonial buildings in Arecibo and historical buildings in Bayamon Mayaguez and Toa Baja Contemporary research bestows the possibility that it was not a single 8 0 event but multiple earthquakes ranging from 6 4 to 7 3 2 1824 04 20 Saint Thomas Virgin Islands It was strongly felt in Saint Thomas where it destroyed at least one building 2 1844 04 16 Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Trench VIII Major damage was recorded in Puerto Rico and Saint Thomas It damaged most houses in San Juan 2 1851 02 22 San Juan Puerto Rico Trench It caused damage in San Juan s city hall 2 1855 12 14 Salinas Puerto Rico VI Said to be the strongest earthquake to have hit Salinas since the town s founding where it caused minor localized damage It was also felt in Aguas Buenas 2 1860 10 23 Mayaguez Puerto Rico VII Felt strongly in Mayaguez where it caused damage 2 1865 05 12 Saint Thomas Virgin Islands Pair of strong earthquakes that hit the Virgin Islands and caused damage in Saint Thomas 2 1865 08 30 Puerto Rico Puerto Rico VI Its epicenter was most likely located deep on land in the Central Mountain Ranges region of Puerto Rico It caused damage in Ponce and Manati 2 1867 11 18 Virgin Islands Virgin Islands 7 3 IX 40 It produced a tsunami that affected the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico 2 1868 03 17 Virgin Islands Virgin Islands 6 5 2 1874 08 26 Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Trench VI It destroyed several houses and buildings in San Juan 2 1875 12 08 Arecibo Puerto Rico Trench VIII It caused significant damage in Arecibo and was strongly felt in Ponce 2 1890 08 15 Puerto Rico Puerto Rico It was felt throughout the island and caused damage in Arecibo and Ponce 2 1906 09 27 Puerto Rico Puerto Rico VI Felt strongly throughout Puerto Rico and as far as the Dominican Republic and Saint Thomas Only damage in San Juan was reported where it caused fissures in the cathedral walls 2 1906 10 20 Puerto Rico Puerto Rico VI Felt throughout the island Possibly an aftershock to the September 27 event 2 1908 08 04 Puerto Rico Puerto Rico VI Pair of earthquakes felt throughout Puerto Rico Damage was reported in Arecibo Ponce San German and Yauco 2 1909 02 17 Virgin Islands Virgin Islands VI Felt in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Minor damage reported in Culebra and Saint Thomas 2 1918 10 11 Puerto Rico Mona Passage 7 1 IX 118 4 29 million USD in damage Damage and injuries were reported throughout the island Several aftershocks were registered after the main shock particularly a 6 5 aftershock that occurred the following year 2 1902 05 13 Virgin Islands Virgin Islands VI Felt strongly in Saint Thomas 2 1920 02 10 Aguadilla Mona Passage 6 4 VI 6 1943 07 29 Puerto Rico Mona Passage 7 7 VI It was felt throughout Puerto Rico but no deaths or injuries were reported Minor damage was reported throughout the island 2 1946 08 04 Dominican Republic Dominican Repiblic 8 1 IX 2 550 Large earthquake centered in the Samana Peninsula of the Dominican Republic All deaths occurred in the Dominican Republic No deaths or injuries was reported in Puerto Rico Localized damaged was however reported throughout the island A small tsunami was recorded in Mayaguez Aguadilla and as far away in San Juan and even Daytona Beach FL and Atlantic City NJ This is the largest earthquake to have hit the Caribbean region in the 20th century It was followed by numerous aftershocks the largest being 7 4 registered 4 days after the main shock 2 1954 04 01 Aguadilla Mona Passage 5 7 6 1955 05 13 Cruz Bay Virgin Islands 5 8 6 1959 07 21 Punta Cana Mona Passage 5 6 6 1959 09 01 Vieques Virgin Islands 5 5 6 1966 11 03 Punta Cana Mona Passage 6 0 6 1970 07 08 Saint Croix Virgin Islands 6 1 IV 6 1974 01 01 Charlotte Amalie Virgin Islands 4 6 6 1974 06 21 Isabela Puerto Rico Trench 4 9 6 1974 08 29 Esperanza Vieques 4 6 6 1974 10 26 Vega Alta Puerto Rico 4 7 6 1975 06 17 Brenas Puerto Rico 5 0 6 1976 03 29 Charlotte Amalie Virgin Islands 4 7 6 1976 06 13 Punta Cana Mona Passage 5 4 6 1977 05 02 San Antonio Mona Passage 5 2 6 1978 09 07 Charlotte Amalie Virgin Islands 5 0 6 1979 01 22 Cruz Bay Virgin Islands 5 1 Earthquake swarm 6 1979 03 23 Dominican Republic Mona Passage 6 1 VI Felt throughout the Dominican Republic Haiti and Puerto Rico and even as far away as Colombia 6 1981 08 24 Puerto Rico Mona Passage 5 7 Felt throughout the island Light damage in Guayanilla 6 1982 06 11 Cruz Bay Virgin Islands 5 2 Earthquake swarm 6 1983 12 19 San Antonio Mona Passage 5 0 6 1984 01 23 San Juan Puerto Rico Trench 4 9 6 1984 03 19 Charlotte Amalie Virgin Islands 5 0 Earthquake swarm 6 1984 10 02 Tallaboa Puerto Rico 4 8 6 1985 06 26 Cruz Bay Virgin Islands 5 9 6 1985 07 21 Punta Cana Mona Passage 5 7 6 1986 02 13 Culebra Virgin Islands 4 4 6 1986 02 18 Playita Cortada Puerto Rico 4 7 IV 6 1986 06 05 Yauco Puerto Rico 4 1 6 1987 05 30 Pole Ojea Puerto Rico 4 6 V Its epicenter was centered close to Boqueron Minor damage reported in the southwestern region of the island 6 1988 11 03 San Antonio Puerto Rico Trench 6 0 IV 6 1990 01 09 Cruz Bay Virgin Islands 5 0 Earthquake swarm 6 1990 02 04 Loiza Puerto Rico Trench 4 6 6 1990 06 21 Luquillo Puerto Rico Trench 4 6 6 1990 10 01 Juncos Puerto Rico 4 7 6 1992 02 10 San Juan Puerto Rico Trench 4 5 6 1992 11 23 San Antonio Mona Passage 5 3 6 1992 12 28 Cruz Bay Virgin Islands 5 4 6 1993 01 13 Cruz Bay Virgin Islands 5 0 Earthquake swarm 6 1993 08 01 Emajagua Muertos Trough 5 3 6 1996 05 11 Charlotte Amalie Virgin Islands 5 1 6 1996 11 06 Cruz Bay Virgin Islands 5 1 6 1999 01 18 San Antonio Puerto Rico Trench 5 0 6 2001 10 17 Charlotte Amalie Virgin Islands 6 0 IV Earthquake swarm 6 2001 10 17 Rincon Mona Passage 4 6 III 6 2002 03 11 Cruz Bay Virgin Islands 5 1 6 2002 06 12 Charlotte Amalie Virgin Islands 4 5 III 6 2002 11 13 Cruz Bay Virgin Islands 5 2 Earthquake swarm 6 2003 03 21 Boca de Yuma Mona Passage 5 1 6 2003 12 06 San Antonio Puerto Rico Trench 5 1 Earthquake swarm 6 2004 09 06 Vieques Virgin Islands 5 1 6 2004 12 11 Cruz Bay Virgin Islands 5 2 V 6 2006 08 14 Cruz Bay Virgin Islands 5 3 V 6 2006 05 24 Las Piedras Puerto Rico 4 0 III 6 2007 12 18 Cruz Bay Virgin Islands 5 3 Earthquake swarm 6 2008 02 04 Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Trench 5 5 6 2008 10 11 Charlotte Amalie Virgin Islands 6 1 V Felt in Puerto Rico the US and British Virgin Islands 6 2009 03 12 Brenas Puerto Rico Trench 5 1 V 6 2009 05 20 Vieques Virgin Islands 5 0 IV 6 2009 06 13 Arecibo Puerto Rico Trench 4 9 IV 6 2009 07 21 Charlotte Amalie Virgin Islands 4 7 IV 6 2009 08 14 Suarez Puerto Rico Trench 5 1 III 6 2010 04 10 Virgin Islands Virgin Islands 4 8 IV 6 2010 05 16 Moca Puerto Rico 5 8 VI Felt throughout Puerto Rico the Dominican Republic and the US and British Islands It is colloquially known as the 2010 Moca earthquake It caused minor damage in the western and northwestern regions of Puerto Rico and a minor landslide that affected a portion of PR 111 It is the largest Puerto Rican earthquake to have occurred in land in recent times 6 2010 07 07 Charlotte Amalie Virgin Islands 4 5 III Earthquake swarm 6 2010 12 24 Aguas Buenas Puerto Rico 5 1 V Felt throughout Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands It is colloquially known as the 2010 Aguas Buenas earthquake or the 2010 Nochebuena earthquake 2010 Christmas Eve earthquake It caused minor damage throughout the island and localized power outages throughout the Caguas and San Juan regions It is the largest earthquake to directly hit the San Juan Metropolitan region in recent times 6 2011 01 21 San Juan Puerto Rico Trench 4 9 IV 6 2011 04 13 Cruz Bay Virgin Islands 5 0 IV 6 2011 11 28 Hatillo Puerto Rico Trench 5 1 V Pair of earthquakes 5 0 and 5 1 6 2011 12 17 Stella Puerto Rico 5 2 VI Pair of earthquakes 5 2 and 5 1 6 2013 02 26 Mona Passage Mona Passage 5 1 V 6 2014 01 13 Hatillo Puerto Rico Trench 6 4 V Felt throughout Puerto Rico 6 2014 08 13 Culebra Virgin Islands 4 6 V 6 2015 07 17 Aguadilla Mona Passage 4 5 II 6 2015 08 05 Brenas Puerto Rico Trench 4 6 II 6 2016 12 05 Emajagua Puerto Rico 4 6 V 6 2017 07 17 Hatillo Puerto Rico Trench 4 7 IV 6 2017 08 18 Brenas Puerto Rico Trench 4 8 IV 6 2017 10 01 Rincon Mona Passage 4 4 II 6 2018 02 09 Charlotte Amalie Virgin Islands 4 5 II 6 2018 03 06 Culebra Virgin Islands 4 5 III 6 2018 04 06 Cruz Bay Virgin Islands 4 7 IV Earthquake swarm 6 2018 12 25 Mona Passage Mona Passage 4 6 II 6 2019 02 18 Charlotte Amalie Virgin Islands 4 8 IV 6 2019 03 12 Jobos Puerto Rico 4 6 V Felt throughout Puerto Rico Localized minor damage in Guayama It was followed by several aftershocks including a 4 1 which was the largest 6 2019 09 24 San Antonio Mona Passage 6 0 V Felt throughout Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic It produced several aftershocks of which the September 26 one was the largest 5 1 and also resulted in minor localized damage 6 2019 10 06 Cruz Bay Virgin Islands 5 0 III Earthquake swarm 6 2019 12 28 Maria Antonia Puerto Rico 4 7 V First notable temblor in the earthquake swarm sequence of shocks that affected the southwestern portion of Puerto Rico from December 2019 throughout 2020 6 2020 01 07 Puerto Rico Puerto Rico 6 4 VIII 4 9 Strongest in the earthquake swarm sequence of shocks that affected the southwestern portion of Puerto Rico from December 2019 throughout 2020 It caused significant damage and power outages throughout the island 6 2020 06 23 Isabela Puerto Rico Trench 4 6 V 6 2021 02 05 Charlotte Amalie Virgin Islands 5 0 IV 6 2022 11 17 Puerto Rico Puerto Rico Trench 5 0 VII 7 2022 05 08 Cruz Bay Virgin Islands 5 5 V 8 See also editGeology of Puerto Rico List of earthquakes United States Geological Survey USGS References edit Puerto Rico Seismic Network redsismica uprm edu Retrieved 2021 09 11 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa Terremotos en Puerto Rico EcoExploratorio Museo de Ciencias de Puerto Rico Retrieved 2021 09 11 Red Sismica de Puerto Rico redsismica uprm edu Retrieved 2021 09 11 Red Sismica de Puerto Rico redsismica uprm edu Retrieved 2021 09 11 Significant Earthquakes on a major fault system in Hispaniola Puerto Rico the Virgin Islands and the Lesser Antilles 1500 2010 Implications for Seismic Hazard www usgs gov Retrieved 2021 09 08 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm Latest Earthquakes earthquake usgs gov Retrieved 2021 09 11 M 5 0 63 km NNW of San Antonio Puerto Rico earthquake usgs gov Retrieved 2023 09 09 M 5 5 84 km NNE of Cruz Bay U S Virgin Islands earthquake usgs gov Retrieved 2023 09 09 External links editPuerto Rico Seismic Network Red Sismica de Puerto Rico RSPR Puerto Rico Earthquakes USGS Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title List of earthquakes in Puerto Rico amp oldid 1185005796, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
