Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards
Four million U.S. citizens live along the coastlines of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, an earthquake- and tsunami-prone active tectonic plate boundary. A tsunami generated at the subduction zone boundary offshore Puerto Rico could also affect the U.S. Atlantic coast.
Following the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the CMHRP launched a Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards study to focus on hazards in this region. CMHRP partners in the United States (NOAA, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez) and in Spain provided support to advance this effort.
To better understand Caribbean tsunami and earthquake hazards, the CMHRP investigated past earthquakes, tsunamis, and seafloor landslides; recorded active earthquake tremors to infer their cause; and used numerical modeling to locate faults and determine whether stress might be accumulating on them. The CMHRP mapped or compiled existing seafloor bathymetric data (i.e., ocean depth data) over a 200,000 square kilometer area, supplementing these data with seismic reflection profiles (which are like taking a CAT scans of the seafloor but use sound instead of X-rays), interpretations of seafloor structure and tectonics, and direct sampling of submarine landslide deposits to determine their age. Mapping of onshore tsunami deposits was used to further constrain the age and impact of tsunamis from both local and far-field sources. Modeling of the 1867 and 1918 tsunami allowed identification of the source locations for these events and provides insight about future hazards. Sensitive ocean bottom seismometers recorded contemporary tremors, while quantitative analyses have been applied to damage patterns from historical earthquakes to estimate the location and magnitude of these events.
In the future, a more regional approach that includes not only the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, but also Cuba, Haiti, and the Lesser Antilles, could facilitate substantial breakthroughs in assessing seismic and tsunami hazards in this tectonically active area.
Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies
Four million U.S. citizens live along the coastlines of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, an earthquake- and tsunami-prone active tectonic plate boundary. A tsunami generated at the subduction zone boundary offshore Puerto Rico could also affect the U.S. Atlantic coast.
Following the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the CMHRP launched a Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards study to focus on hazards in this region. CMHRP partners in the United States (NOAA, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez) and in Spain provided support to advance this effort.
To better understand Caribbean tsunami and earthquake hazards, the CMHRP investigated past earthquakes, tsunamis, and seafloor landslides; recorded active earthquake tremors to infer their cause; and used numerical modeling to locate faults and determine whether stress might be accumulating on them. The CMHRP mapped or compiled existing seafloor bathymetric data (i.e., ocean depth data) over a 200,000 square kilometer area, supplementing these data with seismic reflection profiles (which are like taking a CAT scans of the seafloor but use sound instead of X-rays), interpretations of seafloor structure and tectonics, and direct sampling of submarine landslide deposits to determine their age. Mapping of onshore tsunami deposits was used to further constrain the age and impact of tsunamis from both local and far-field sources. Modeling of the 1867 and 1918 tsunami allowed identification of the source locations for these events and provides insight about future hazards. Sensitive ocean bottom seismometers recorded contemporary tremors, while quantitative analyses have been applied to damage patterns from historical earthquakes to estimate the location and magnitude of these events.
In the future, a more regional approach that includes not only the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, but also Cuba, Haiti, and the Lesser Antilles, could facilitate substantial breakthroughs in assessing seismic and tsunami hazards in this tectonically active area.