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Uri ten Brink, PhD (Former Employee)

Science and Products

land movement

Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Earthquakes | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Terremotos

USGS provides real-time earthquake data, information on historic earthquakes, resources for the most significant earthquakes, and seismicity and ground motions to support future updates to the seismic hazard models for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Our seismic research can help establish better building regulations that mitigate earthquake risks and improve public safety. The USGS...
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area
Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Earthquakes | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Terremotos

Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Earthquakes | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Terremotos

USGS provides real-time earthquake data, information on historic earthquakes, resources for the most significant earthquakes, and seismicity and ground motions to support future updates to the seismic hazard models for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Our seismic research can help establish better building regulations that mitigate earthquake risks and improve public safety. The USGS...
Learn More
Perspective view of the seafloor of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Tsunamis | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Maremotos

Tsunamis are long waves formed from a sudden displacement of the sea floor due to a fault rupture, landslide, or volcanic activity. Given that Puerto Rico lies above a subduction zone in the Caribbean Sea, it is especially susceptible to large earthquakes and tsunamis. The greatest tsunami ever recorded in Puerto Rico occurred from an earthquake off the Mona Passage in 1918. The USGS Earthquake...
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area
Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Tsunamis | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Maremotos

Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Tsunamis | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Maremotos

Tsunamis are long waves formed from a sudden displacement of the sea floor due to a fault rupture, landslide, or volcanic activity. Given that Puerto Rico lies above a subduction zone in the Caribbean Sea, it is especially susceptible to large earthquakes and tsunamis. The greatest tsunami ever recorded in Puerto Rico occurred from an earthquake off the Mona Passage in 1918. The USGS Earthquake...
Learn More
A boat floating on calm, shallow waters with mountains far off in the distance.

Seismic Reflection and Refraction Methods

Seismic reflection and refraction methods are major tools in natural hazard assessments. Useful tools were developed to aid in processing and modeling of these data.
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Seismic Reflection and Refraction Methods

Seismic Reflection and Refraction Methods

Seismic reflection and refraction methods are major tools in natural hazard assessments. Useful tools were developed to aid in processing and modeling of these data.
Learn More
Map of the North American - Caribbean tectonic plate boundary

Quantifying Morphological Processes

Quantifying Morphological Processes lays the foundation for a better assessment of landslide hazard and sediment transport for resource utilization.
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Quantifying Morphological Processes

Quantifying Morphological Processes

Quantifying Morphological Processes lays the foundation for a better assessment of landslide hazard and sediment transport for resource utilization.
Learn More
Map of the North American - Caribbean tectonic plate boundary

Tectonic Processes

Geophysical research utilizes analytical and numerical tools to quantify tectonic processes. Basic geophysical research lays the ground for understanding of Earth processes, which affect natural hazards and resource estimation.
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Tectonic Processes

Tectonic Processes

Geophysical research utilizes analytical and numerical tools to quantify tectonic processes. Basic geophysical research lays the ground for understanding of Earth processes, which affect natural hazards and resource estimation.
Learn More
Map of  Relative Coastal Vulnerability for Virgin Islands National Park.

Significant Earthquakes on a major fault system in Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Lesser Antilles, 1500–2010: Implications for Seismic Hazard

Earthquakes have been documented in the northeastern Caribbean since the arrival of Columbus to the Americas; written accounts of these felt earthquakes exist in various parts of the world. To better understand the earthquake cycle in the Caribbean, the records of earthquakes in earlier catalogs and historical documents from various archives, which are now available online, were critically...
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Subduction Zone Science
Significant Earthquakes on a major fault system in Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Lesser Antilles, 1500–2010: Implications for Seismic Hazard

Significant Earthquakes on a major fault system in Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Lesser Antilles, 1500–2010: Implications for Seismic Hazard

Earthquakes have been documented in the northeastern Caribbean since the arrival of Columbus to the Americas; written accounts of these felt earthquakes exist in various parts of the world. To better understand the earthquake cycle in the Caribbean, the records of earthquakes in earlier catalogs and historical documents from various archives, which are now available online, were critically...
Learn More
Side view of the uniformly tilted carbonate platform and the narrow shelf north of Puerto Rico

Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies- Models

The Puerto Rico trench exhibits great water depth, extremely low gravity anomaly, and a tilted carbonate platform between (reconstructed) elevations of +1300 m and -4000 m. we suggest that these features are manifestations of large vertical movements of a segment of the Puerto Rico Trench, its forearc, and the island of Puerto Rico that took place 3.3 m.y. ago over a time period as short as 14-40...
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Subduction Zone Science
Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies- Models

Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies- Models

The Puerto Rico trench exhibits great water depth, extremely low gravity anomaly, and a tilted carbonate platform between (reconstructed) elevations of +1300 m and -4000 m. we suggest that these features are manifestations of large vertical movements of a segment of the Puerto Rico Trench, its forearc, and the island of Puerto Rico that took place 3.3 m.y. ago over a time period as short as 14-40...
Learn More
Static stress change models

Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies- Stress Changes and Earthquake Hazard

Strike-slip faults in the forearc region of a subduction zone often present significant seismic hazard because of their proximity to population centers. We explore the interaction between thrust events on the subduction interface and strike-slip faults within the forearc region using 3-D models of static Coulomb stress change.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Subduction Zone Science
Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies- Stress Changes and Earthquake Hazard

Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies- Stress Changes and Earthquake Hazard

Strike-slip faults in the forearc region of a subduction zone often present significant seismic hazard because of their proximity to population centers. We explore the interaction between thrust events on the subduction interface and strike-slip faults within the forearc region using 3-D models of static Coulomb stress change.
Learn More
Perspective view of the edge of the carbonate platform.

Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies-Tsunami Potential

Newly-acquired multibeam bathymetry of the entire Puerto Rico trench reveals numerous retrograde slope failures at various scales at the edge of the carbonate platform north of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The slumped material comprises carbonate blocks, which are cohesive and the edge of the carbonate platform is steeper than most continental slopes, resulting in a higher potential runup...
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Subduction Zone Science
Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies-Tsunami Potential

Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies-Tsunami Potential

Newly-acquired multibeam bathymetry of the entire Puerto Rico trench reveals numerous retrograde slope failures at various scales at the edge of the carbonate platform north of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The slumped material comprises carbonate blocks, which are cohesive and the edge of the carbonate platform is steeper than most continental slopes, resulting in a higher potential runup...
Learn More
Shaded relief and combined bathymetry map of Puerto Rico

Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies- Seafloor Map

To help understand the origin of the unusual bathymetry, gravity, and vertical tectonics of the plate boundary and to provide constraints for hazard assessment, the morphology of the entire 770-km-long trench from the Dominican Republic in the west to Anguilla in the east was mapped with multibeam echosounder during three cruises in 2002 and 2003. Parts of the Puerto Rico Trench were previously...
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Subduction Zone Science
Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies- Seafloor Map

Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies- Seafloor Map

To help understand the origin of the unusual bathymetry, gravity, and vertical tectonics of the plate boundary and to provide constraints for hazard assessment, the morphology of the entire 770-km-long trench from the Dominican Republic in the west to Anguilla in the east was mapped with multibeam echosounder during three cruises in 2002 and 2003. Parts of the Puerto Rico Trench were previously...
Learn More
3D computer image shows corrugations beneath the seafloor where tectonic plates move past each other.

Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies

Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are located at an active plate boundary between the North American plate and the northeast corner of the Caribbean plate. Plate movements have caused large magnitude earthquakes and devastating tsunamis. The USGS has an ongoing program to identify and map the faults in this region using various geophysical and geological methods in order to estimate the location...
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization, Subduction Zone Science
Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies

Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies

Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are located at an active plate boundary between the North American plate and the northeast corner of the Caribbean plate. Plate movements have caused large magnitude earthquakes and devastating tsunamis. The USGS has an ongoing program to identify and map the faults in this region using various geophysical and geological methods in order to estimate the location...
Learn More
Topographic Map of the Middle East

Peace and Science in the Middle East

This project is complete and the website is archived and no longer updated. The ancient cultures of the Middle East and the modern political conflicts there are shaped by a surprisingly diverse and youthful landscape. The landscape of the region is dominated by a narrow elongate (20-30 km wide) valley, that is surrounded by the western highlands of Israel and the Palestinian Territories, and the...
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Peace and Science in the Middle East

Peace and Science in the Middle East

This project is complete and the website is archived and no longer updated. The ancient cultures of the Middle East and the modern political conflicts there are shaped by a surprisingly diverse and youthful landscape. The landscape of the region is dominated by a narrow elongate (20-30 km wide) valley, that is surrounded by the western highlands of Israel and the Palestinian Territories, and the...
Learn More

Earthquake geology inputs for the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2025 (Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands), version 1.0 Earthquake geology inputs for the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2025 (Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands), version 1.0

This Data Release contains preliminary versions of three related geologic input databases for the Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands (PRVI) region (62°–70° W and 16°–21° N) of the United States: 1) A fault sections database (“NSHM2025_FaultSections_PRVI_v1’”), which depicts the geometry of faults capable of hosting independent earthquakes, 2) a fault-zone polygon database ("NSHM2025...
By
Geologic Hazards Science Center

Multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data collected in the eastern Gulf of Alaska during USGS Field Activity 2016-625-FA using a Reson 7160 multibeam echosounder Multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data collected in the eastern Gulf of Alaska during USGS Field Activity 2016-625-FA using a Reson 7160 multibeam echosounder

Marine geophysical mapping of the Queen Charlotte Fault in the eastern Gulf of Alaska was conducted in 2016 as part of a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to understand the morphology and subsurface geology of the entire Queen Charlotte system. The Queen Charlotte fault is the offshore portion of the Queen Charlotte...
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Multichannel seismic-reflection and navigation data collected using SIG ELC1200 and Applied Acoustics Delta Sparkers and Geometrics GeoEel digital streamers during USGS field activity 2020-014-FA. Multichannel seismic-reflection and navigation data collected using SIG ELC1200 and Applied Acoustics Delta Sparkers and Geometrics GeoEel digital streamers during USGS field activity 2020-014-FA.

In March 2020, the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez (UPRM) Department of Marine Sciences conducted a marine seismic-reflection experiment focused on observing geophysical evidence of submarine faulting and mass wasting related to the southwestern Puerto Rico seismic sequence of 2019-20. The seismic sequence culminated with a magnitude 6.4 earthquake...
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Multibeam and multichannel sparker seismic-reflection data between Cross Sound and Dixon Entrance, offshore southeastern Alaska, collected from 2016-05-17 to 2016-06-12 during field activity 2016-625-FA Multibeam and multichannel sparker seismic-reflection data between Cross Sound and Dixon Entrance, offshore southeastern Alaska, collected from 2016-05-17 to 2016-06-12 during field activity 2016-625-FA

Multibeam bathymetry and multisparker data were collected along the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault between Icy Point and Dixon Entrance, offshore southeastern Alaska from 2016-05-17 to 2016-06-12.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Coastal Topography-Anegada, British Virgin Islands, 2014 Coastal Topography-Anegada, British Virgin Islands, 2014

These datasets provide lidar-derived topography for Anegada and a portion of the submerged environs. Elevation measurements were acquired on January 21, 2014 by an Optech Orion M300, and on March 19-20, 2014 by the second-generation Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL-B). The authors acknowledge Emily Klipp, Chris Pali, Virgil Rabine, Rudy Troche, and Wayne Wright, all...
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
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Morphotectonics of the central Muertos thrust belt and Muertos Trough (northeastern Caribbean) Morphotectonics of the central Muertos thrust belt and Muertos Trough (northeastern Caribbean)

Multibeam bathymetry data acquired during the 2005 Spanish R/V Hesp??rides cruise and reprocessed multichannel seismic profiles provide the basis for the analysis of the morphology and deformation in the central Muertos Trough and Muertos thrust belt. The Muertos Trough is an elongated basin developed where the Venezuelan Basin crust is thrusted under the Muertos fold-and-thrust belt...
Authors
Bruna J.L. Granja, Uri S. ten Brink, Andres Carbo-Gorosabel, A. Munoz-Martin, Ballesteros M. Gomez

Morphology of late Quaternary submarine landslides along the U.S. Atlantic continental margin Morphology of late Quaternary submarine landslides along the U.S. Atlantic continental margin

The nearly complete coverage of the U.S. Atlantic continental slope and rise by multibeam bathymetry and backscatter imagery provides an opportunity to reevaluate the distribution of submarine landslides along the margin and reassess the controls on their formation. Landslides can be divided into two categories based on their source areas: those sourced in submarine canyons and those...
Authors
D.C. Twichell, J.D. Chaytor, Uri S. ten Brink, B. Buczkowski
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Samples Repository

Size distributions and failure initiation of submarine and subaerial landslides Size distributions and failure initiation of submarine and subaerial landslides

Landslides are often viewed together with other natural hazards, such as earthquakes and fires, as phenomena whose size distribution obeys an inverse power law. Inverse power law distributions are the result of additive avalanche processes, in which the final size cannot be predicted at the onset of the disturbance. Volume and area distributions of submarine landslides along the U.S...
Authors
Uri S. ten Brink, R. Barkan, B.D. Andrews, J.D. Chaytor
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Submarine landslide as the source for the October 11, 1918 Mona Passage tsunami: Observations and modeling Submarine landslide as the source for the October 11, 1918 Mona Passage tsunami: Observations and modeling

The October 11, 1918 ML 7.5 earthquake in the Mona Passage between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico generated a local tsunami that claimed approximately 100 lives along the western coast of Puerto Rico. The area affected by this tsunami is now significantly more populated. Newly acquired high-resolution bathymetry and seismic reflection lines in the Mona Passage show a fresh submarine...
Authors
A.M. López-Venegas, Uri S. ten Brink, Eric L. Geist
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, 2020 Puerto Rico Earthquakes

Preliminary results of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission collaborative research program to assess tsunami hazard for nuclear power plants on the Atlantic and gulf coasts Preliminary results of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission collaborative research program to assess tsunami hazard for nuclear power plants on the Atlantic and gulf coasts

In response to the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (US NRC) initiated a long-term research program to improve understanding of tsunami hazard levels for nuclear facilities in the United States. For this effort, the US NRC organized a collaborative research program with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and other key researchers for the...
Authors
A.M. Kammerer, Uri S. ten Brink, David C. Twitchell, Eric L. Geist, Jason D. Chaytor, J. Locat, H. J. Lee, Brian J. Buczkowski, M. Sansoucy
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Magnetic character of a large continental transform: an aeromagnetic survey of the Dead Sea Fault Magnetic character of a large continental transform: an aeromagnetic survey of the Dead Sea Fault

New high-resolution airborne magnetic (HRAM) data along a 120-km-long section of the Dead Sea Transform in southern Jordan and Israel shed light on the shallow structure of the fault zone and on the kinematics of the plate boundary. Despite infrequent seismic activity and only intermittent surface exposure, the fault is delineated clearly on a map of the first vertical derivative of the...
Authors
Uri S. ten Brink, Michael Rybakov, Abdallah S. Al-Zoubi, Yair Rotstein
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Revisiting submarine mass movements along the U.S. Atlantic Continental Margin: Implications for tsunami hazards Revisiting submarine mass movements along the U.S. Atlantic Continental Margin: Implications for tsunami hazards

Interest in the generation of tsunamis by submarine mass movements has warranted a reassessment of their distribution and the nature of submarine landslides offshore of the eastern U.S. The recent acquisition and analysis of multibeam bathymetric data over most of this continental slope and rise provides clearer view into the extent and style of mass movements on this margin. Debris...
Authors
J.D. Chaytor, D.C. Twichell, Uri S. ten Brink, B.J. Buczkowski, B.D. Andrews
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Samples Repository

The Northern end of the Dead Sea Basin: Geometry from reflection seismic evidence The Northern end of the Dead Sea Basin: Geometry from reflection seismic evidence

Recently released reflection seismic lines from the Eastern side of the Jordan River north of the Dead Sea were interpreted by using borehole data and incorporated with the previously published seismic lines of the eastern side of the Jordan River. For the first time, the lines from the eastern side of the Jordan River were combined with the published reflection seismic lines from the...
Authors
A. S. Al-Zoubi, T. Heinrichs, I. Qabbani, Uri S. ten Brink
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Sediment compaction rates and subsidence in deltaic plains: Numerical constraints and stratigraphic influences Sediment compaction rates and subsidence in deltaic plains: Numerical constraints and stratigraphic influences

Natural sediment compaction in deltaic plains influences subsidence rates and the evolution of deltaic morphology. Determining compaction rates requires detailed knowledge of subsurface geotechnical properties and depositional history, neither of which is often readily available. To overcome this lack of knowledge, we numerically forward model the incremental sedimentation and compaction...
Authors
T.A. Meckel, Uri S. ten Brink, S.J. Williams
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program

Submarine slides north of Puerto Rico and their tsunami potential Submarine slides north of Puerto Rico and their tsunami potential

New multibeam bathymetry of the entire Puerto Rico trench reveals numerous retrograde slope failures at various scales at the edge of the carbonate platform north of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The slumped material comprises carbonate blocks, which fail, at least in initial stages, as a coherent rock mass. This, combined with the fact that the edge of the carbonate platform is...
Authors
Uri S. ten Brink, Eric L. Geist, Patrick J. Lynett, Brian D. Andrews
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Seismic imaging of deep low-velocity zone beneath the Dead Sea basin and transform fault: Implications for strain localization and crustal rigidity Seismic imaging of deep low-velocity zone beneath the Dead Sea basin and transform fault: Implications for strain localization and crustal rigidity

New seismic observations from the Dead Sea basin (DSB), a large pull-apart basin along the Dead Sea transform (DST) plate boundary, show a low velocity zone extending to a depth of 18 km under the basin. The lower crust and Moho are not perturbed. These observations are incompatible with the current view of mid-crustal strength at low temperatures and with support of the basin's negative...
Authors
Uri S. ten Brink, A. S. Al-Zoubi, C.H. Flores, Y. Rotstein, I. Qabbani, S.H. Harder, Gordon R. Keller
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

A note on the correlation between geophysical observations and seismicity in the Arava/(Araba) Valley at the southern part of the Dead Sea fault A note on the correlation between geophysical observations and seismicity in the Arava/(Araba) Valley at the southern part of the Dead Sea fault

The spatial distribution of the earthquakes in the Arava Valley, a 150-km section of the Dead Sea Transform, is compared for the first time with the local subsurface geological features derived from geophysical and geological data. Gravity data suggested that the Gharandal, Timna, and Elat basins were filled by low-density young sediments. These features were confirmed by seismic...
Authors
M. Rybakov, A. Shapira, A. Al-Zoubi, Uri S. ten Brink, R. Hofstetter, N. Kraeva, L. Feldman

Non-USGS Publications**

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

Science and Products

land movement

Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Earthquakes | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Terremotos

USGS provides real-time earthquake data, information on historic earthquakes, resources for the most significant earthquakes, and seismicity and ground motions to support future updates to the seismic hazard models for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Our seismic research can help establish better building regulations that mitigate earthquake risks and improve public safety. The USGS...
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area
Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Earthquakes | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Terremotos

Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Earthquakes | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Terremotos

USGS provides real-time earthquake data, information on historic earthquakes, resources for the most significant earthquakes, and seismicity and ground motions to support future updates to the seismic hazard models for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Our seismic research can help establish better building regulations that mitigate earthquake risks and improve public safety. The USGS...
Learn More
Perspective view of the seafloor of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Tsunamis | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Maremotos

Tsunamis are long waves formed from a sudden displacement of the sea floor due to a fault rupture, landslide, or volcanic activity. Given that Puerto Rico lies above a subduction zone in the Caribbean Sea, it is especially susceptible to large earthquakes and tsunamis. The greatest tsunami ever recorded in Puerto Rico occurred from an earthquake off the Mona Passage in 1918. The USGS Earthquake...
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area
Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Tsunamis | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Maremotos

Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Tsunamis | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Maremotos

Tsunamis are long waves formed from a sudden displacement of the sea floor due to a fault rupture, landslide, or volcanic activity. Given that Puerto Rico lies above a subduction zone in the Caribbean Sea, it is especially susceptible to large earthquakes and tsunamis. The greatest tsunami ever recorded in Puerto Rico occurred from an earthquake off the Mona Passage in 1918. The USGS Earthquake...
Learn More
A boat floating on calm, shallow waters with mountains far off in the distance.

Seismic Reflection and Refraction Methods

Seismic reflection and refraction methods are major tools in natural hazard assessments. Useful tools were developed to aid in processing and modeling of these data.
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Seismic Reflection and Refraction Methods

Seismic Reflection and Refraction Methods

Seismic reflection and refraction methods are major tools in natural hazard assessments. Useful tools were developed to aid in processing and modeling of these data.
Learn More
Map of the North American - Caribbean tectonic plate boundary

Quantifying Morphological Processes

Quantifying Morphological Processes lays the foundation for a better assessment of landslide hazard and sediment transport for resource utilization.
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Quantifying Morphological Processes

Quantifying Morphological Processes

Quantifying Morphological Processes lays the foundation for a better assessment of landslide hazard and sediment transport for resource utilization.
Learn More
Map of the North American - Caribbean tectonic plate boundary

Tectonic Processes

Geophysical research utilizes analytical and numerical tools to quantify tectonic processes. Basic geophysical research lays the ground for understanding of Earth processes, which affect natural hazards and resource estimation.
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Tectonic Processes

Tectonic Processes

Geophysical research utilizes analytical and numerical tools to quantify tectonic processes. Basic geophysical research lays the ground for understanding of Earth processes, which affect natural hazards and resource estimation.
Learn More
Map of  Relative Coastal Vulnerability for Virgin Islands National Park.

Significant Earthquakes on a major fault system in Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Lesser Antilles, 1500–2010: Implications for Seismic Hazard

Earthquakes have been documented in the northeastern Caribbean since the arrival of Columbus to the Americas; written accounts of these felt earthquakes exist in various parts of the world. To better understand the earthquake cycle in the Caribbean, the records of earthquakes in earlier catalogs and historical documents from various archives, which are now available online, were critically...
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Subduction Zone Science
Significant Earthquakes on a major fault system in Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Lesser Antilles, 1500–2010: Implications for Seismic Hazard

Significant Earthquakes on a major fault system in Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Lesser Antilles, 1500–2010: Implications for Seismic Hazard

Earthquakes have been documented in the northeastern Caribbean since the arrival of Columbus to the Americas; written accounts of these felt earthquakes exist in various parts of the world. To better understand the earthquake cycle in the Caribbean, the records of earthquakes in earlier catalogs and historical documents from various archives, which are now available online, were critically...
Learn More
Side view of the uniformly tilted carbonate platform and the narrow shelf north of Puerto Rico

Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies- Models

The Puerto Rico trench exhibits great water depth, extremely low gravity anomaly, and a tilted carbonate platform between (reconstructed) elevations of +1300 m and -4000 m. we suggest that these features are manifestations of large vertical movements of a segment of the Puerto Rico Trench, its forearc, and the island of Puerto Rico that took place 3.3 m.y. ago over a time period as short as 14-40...
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Subduction Zone Science
Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies- Models

Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies- Models

The Puerto Rico trench exhibits great water depth, extremely low gravity anomaly, and a tilted carbonate platform between (reconstructed) elevations of +1300 m and -4000 m. we suggest that these features are manifestations of large vertical movements of a segment of the Puerto Rico Trench, its forearc, and the island of Puerto Rico that took place 3.3 m.y. ago over a time period as short as 14-40...
Learn More
Static stress change models

Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies- Stress Changes and Earthquake Hazard

Strike-slip faults in the forearc region of a subduction zone often present significant seismic hazard because of their proximity to population centers. We explore the interaction between thrust events on the subduction interface and strike-slip faults within the forearc region using 3-D models of static Coulomb stress change.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Subduction Zone Science
Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies- Stress Changes and Earthquake Hazard

Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies- Stress Changes and Earthquake Hazard

Strike-slip faults in the forearc region of a subduction zone often present significant seismic hazard because of their proximity to population centers. We explore the interaction between thrust events on the subduction interface and strike-slip faults within the forearc region using 3-D models of static Coulomb stress change.
Learn More
Perspective view of the edge of the carbonate platform.

Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies-Tsunami Potential

Newly-acquired multibeam bathymetry of the entire Puerto Rico trench reveals numerous retrograde slope failures at various scales at the edge of the carbonate platform north of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The slumped material comprises carbonate blocks, which are cohesive and the edge of the carbonate platform is steeper than most continental slopes, resulting in a higher potential runup...
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Subduction Zone Science
Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies-Tsunami Potential

Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies-Tsunami Potential

Newly-acquired multibeam bathymetry of the entire Puerto Rico trench reveals numerous retrograde slope failures at various scales at the edge of the carbonate platform north of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The slumped material comprises carbonate blocks, which are cohesive and the edge of the carbonate platform is steeper than most continental slopes, resulting in a higher potential runup...
Learn More
Shaded relief and combined bathymetry map of Puerto Rico

Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies- Seafloor Map

To help understand the origin of the unusual bathymetry, gravity, and vertical tectonics of the plate boundary and to provide constraints for hazard assessment, the morphology of the entire 770-km-long trench from the Dominican Republic in the west to Anguilla in the east was mapped with multibeam echosounder during three cruises in 2002 and 2003. Parts of the Puerto Rico Trench were previously...
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Subduction Zone Science
Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies- Seafloor Map

Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies- Seafloor Map

To help understand the origin of the unusual bathymetry, gravity, and vertical tectonics of the plate boundary and to provide constraints for hazard assessment, the morphology of the entire 770-km-long trench from the Dominican Republic in the west to Anguilla in the east was mapped with multibeam echosounder during three cruises in 2002 and 2003. Parts of the Puerto Rico Trench were previously...
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3D computer image shows corrugations beneath the seafloor where tectonic plates move past each other.

Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies

Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are located at an active plate boundary between the North American plate and the northeast corner of the Caribbean plate. Plate movements have caused large magnitude earthquakes and devastating tsunamis. The USGS has an ongoing program to identify and map the faults in this region using various geophysical and geological methods in order to estimate the location...
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization, Subduction Zone Science
Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies

Caribbean Tsunami and Earthquake Hazards Studies

Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are located at an active plate boundary between the North American plate and the northeast corner of the Caribbean plate. Plate movements have caused large magnitude earthquakes and devastating tsunamis. The USGS has an ongoing program to identify and map the faults in this region using various geophysical and geological methods in order to estimate the location...
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Topographic Map of the Middle East

Peace and Science in the Middle East

This project is complete and the website is archived and no longer updated. The ancient cultures of the Middle East and the modern political conflicts there are shaped by a surprisingly diverse and youthful landscape. The landscape of the region is dominated by a narrow elongate (20-30 km wide) valley, that is surrounded by the western highlands of Israel and the Palestinian Territories, and the...
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Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Peace and Science in the Middle East

Peace and Science in the Middle East

This project is complete and the website is archived and no longer updated. The ancient cultures of the Middle East and the modern political conflicts there are shaped by a surprisingly diverse and youthful landscape. The landscape of the region is dominated by a narrow elongate (20-30 km wide) valley, that is surrounded by the western highlands of Israel and the Palestinian Territories, and the...
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Earthquake geology inputs for the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2025 (Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands), version 1.0 Earthquake geology inputs for the National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) 2025 (Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands), version 1.0

This Data Release contains preliminary versions of three related geologic input databases for the Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands (PRVI) region (62°–70° W and 16°–21° N) of the United States: 1) A fault sections database (“NSHM2025_FaultSections_PRVI_v1’”), which depicts the geometry of faults capable of hosting independent earthquakes, 2) a fault-zone polygon database ("NSHM2025...
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Geologic Hazards Science Center

Multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data collected in the eastern Gulf of Alaska during USGS Field Activity 2016-625-FA using a Reson 7160 multibeam echosounder Multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data collected in the eastern Gulf of Alaska during USGS Field Activity 2016-625-FA using a Reson 7160 multibeam echosounder

Marine geophysical mapping of the Queen Charlotte Fault in the eastern Gulf of Alaska was conducted in 2016 as part of a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to understand the morphology and subsurface geology of the entire Queen Charlotte system. The Queen Charlotte fault is the offshore portion of the Queen Charlotte...
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Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Multichannel seismic-reflection and navigation data collected using SIG ELC1200 and Applied Acoustics Delta Sparkers and Geometrics GeoEel digital streamers during USGS field activity 2020-014-FA. Multichannel seismic-reflection and navigation data collected using SIG ELC1200 and Applied Acoustics Delta Sparkers and Geometrics GeoEel digital streamers during USGS field activity 2020-014-FA.

In March 2020, the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez (UPRM) Department of Marine Sciences conducted a marine seismic-reflection experiment focused on observing geophysical evidence of submarine faulting and mass wasting related to the southwestern Puerto Rico seismic sequence of 2019-20. The seismic sequence culminated with a magnitude 6.4 earthquake...
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Multibeam and multichannel sparker seismic-reflection data between Cross Sound and Dixon Entrance, offshore southeastern Alaska, collected from 2016-05-17 to 2016-06-12 during field activity 2016-625-FA Multibeam and multichannel sparker seismic-reflection data between Cross Sound and Dixon Entrance, offshore southeastern Alaska, collected from 2016-05-17 to 2016-06-12 during field activity 2016-625-FA

Multibeam bathymetry and multisparker data were collected along the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault between Icy Point and Dixon Entrance, offshore southeastern Alaska from 2016-05-17 to 2016-06-12.
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Coastal Topography-Anegada, British Virgin Islands, 2014 Coastal Topography-Anegada, British Virgin Islands, 2014

These datasets provide lidar-derived topography for Anegada and a portion of the submerged environs. Elevation measurements were acquired on January 21, 2014 by an Optech Orion M300, and on March 19-20, 2014 by the second-generation Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL-B). The authors acknowledge Emily Klipp, Chris Pali, Virgil Rabine, Rudy Troche, and Wayne Wright, all...
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center
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Morphotectonics of the central Muertos thrust belt and Muertos Trough (northeastern Caribbean) Morphotectonics of the central Muertos thrust belt and Muertos Trough (northeastern Caribbean)

Multibeam bathymetry data acquired during the 2005 Spanish R/V Hesp??rides cruise and reprocessed multichannel seismic profiles provide the basis for the analysis of the morphology and deformation in the central Muertos Trough and Muertos thrust belt. The Muertos Trough is an elongated basin developed where the Venezuelan Basin crust is thrusted under the Muertos fold-and-thrust belt...
Authors
Bruna J.L. Granja, Uri S. ten Brink, Andres Carbo-Gorosabel, A. Munoz-Martin, Ballesteros M. Gomez

Morphology of late Quaternary submarine landslides along the U.S. Atlantic continental margin Morphology of late Quaternary submarine landslides along the U.S. Atlantic continental margin

The nearly complete coverage of the U.S. Atlantic continental slope and rise by multibeam bathymetry and backscatter imagery provides an opportunity to reevaluate the distribution of submarine landslides along the margin and reassess the controls on their formation. Landslides can be divided into two categories based on their source areas: those sourced in submarine canyons and those...
Authors
D.C. Twichell, J.D. Chaytor, Uri S. ten Brink, B. Buczkowski
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Samples Repository

Size distributions and failure initiation of submarine and subaerial landslides Size distributions and failure initiation of submarine and subaerial landslides

Landslides are often viewed together with other natural hazards, such as earthquakes and fires, as phenomena whose size distribution obeys an inverse power law. Inverse power law distributions are the result of additive avalanche processes, in which the final size cannot be predicted at the onset of the disturbance. Volume and area distributions of submarine landslides along the U.S...
Authors
Uri S. ten Brink, R. Barkan, B.D. Andrews, J.D. Chaytor
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Submarine landslide as the source for the October 11, 1918 Mona Passage tsunami: Observations and modeling Submarine landslide as the source for the October 11, 1918 Mona Passage tsunami: Observations and modeling

The October 11, 1918 ML 7.5 earthquake in the Mona Passage between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico generated a local tsunami that claimed approximately 100 lives along the western coast of Puerto Rico. The area affected by this tsunami is now significantly more populated. Newly acquired high-resolution bathymetry and seismic reflection lines in the Mona Passage show a fresh submarine...
Authors
A.M. López-Venegas, Uri S. ten Brink, Eric L. Geist
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, 2020 Puerto Rico Earthquakes

Preliminary results of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission collaborative research program to assess tsunami hazard for nuclear power plants on the Atlantic and gulf coasts Preliminary results of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission collaborative research program to assess tsunami hazard for nuclear power plants on the Atlantic and gulf coasts

In response to the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (US NRC) initiated a long-term research program to improve understanding of tsunami hazard levels for nuclear facilities in the United States. For this effort, the US NRC organized a collaborative research program with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and other key researchers for the...
Authors
A.M. Kammerer, Uri S. ten Brink, David C. Twitchell, Eric L. Geist, Jason D. Chaytor, J. Locat, H. J. Lee, Brian J. Buczkowski, M. Sansoucy
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Magnetic character of a large continental transform: an aeromagnetic survey of the Dead Sea Fault Magnetic character of a large continental transform: an aeromagnetic survey of the Dead Sea Fault

New high-resolution airborne magnetic (HRAM) data along a 120-km-long section of the Dead Sea Transform in southern Jordan and Israel shed light on the shallow structure of the fault zone and on the kinematics of the plate boundary. Despite infrequent seismic activity and only intermittent surface exposure, the fault is delineated clearly on a map of the first vertical derivative of the...
Authors
Uri S. ten Brink, Michael Rybakov, Abdallah S. Al-Zoubi, Yair Rotstein
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Revisiting submarine mass movements along the U.S. Atlantic Continental Margin: Implications for tsunami hazards Revisiting submarine mass movements along the U.S. Atlantic Continental Margin: Implications for tsunami hazards

Interest in the generation of tsunamis by submarine mass movements has warranted a reassessment of their distribution and the nature of submarine landslides offshore of the eastern U.S. The recent acquisition and analysis of multibeam bathymetric data over most of this continental slope and rise provides clearer view into the extent and style of mass movements on this margin. Debris...
Authors
J.D. Chaytor, D.C. Twichell, Uri S. ten Brink, B.J. Buczkowski, B.D. Andrews
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Samples Repository

The Northern end of the Dead Sea Basin: Geometry from reflection seismic evidence The Northern end of the Dead Sea Basin: Geometry from reflection seismic evidence

Recently released reflection seismic lines from the Eastern side of the Jordan River north of the Dead Sea were interpreted by using borehole data and incorporated with the previously published seismic lines of the eastern side of the Jordan River. For the first time, the lines from the eastern side of the Jordan River were combined with the published reflection seismic lines from the...
Authors
A. S. Al-Zoubi, T. Heinrichs, I. Qabbani, Uri S. ten Brink
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Sediment compaction rates and subsidence in deltaic plains: Numerical constraints and stratigraphic influences Sediment compaction rates and subsidence in deltaic plains: Numerical constraints and stratigraphic influences

Natural sediment compaction in deltaic plains influences subsidence rates and the evolution of deltaic morphology. Determining compaction rates requires detailed knowledge of subsurface geotechnical properties and depositional history, neither of which is often readily available. To overcome this lack of knowledge, we numerically forward model the incremental sedimentation and compaction...
Authors
T.A. Meckel, Uri S. ten Brink, S.J. Williams
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program

Submarine slides north of Puerto Rico and their tsunami potential Submarine slides north of Puerto Rico and their tsunami potential

New multibeam bathymetry of the entire Puerto Rico trench reveals numerous retrograde slope failures at various scales at the edge of the carbonate platform north of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The slumped material comprises carbonate blocks, which fail, at least in initial stages, as a coherent rock mass. This, combined with the fact that the edge of the carbonate platform is...
Authors
Uri S. ten Brink, Eric L. Geist, Patrick J. Lynett, Brian D. Andrews
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Seismic imaging of deep low-velocity zone beneath the Dead Sea basin and transform fault: Implications for strain localization and crustal rigidity Seismic imaging of deep low-velocity zone beneath the Dead Sea basin and transform fault: Implications for strain localization and crustal rigidity

New seismic observations from the Dead Sea basin (DSB), a large pull-apart basin along the Dead Sea transform (DST) plate boundary, show a low velocity zone extending to a depth of 18 km under the basin. The lower crust and Moho are not perturbed. These observations are incompatible with the current view of mid-crustal strength at low temperatures and with support of the basin's negative...
Authors
Uri S. ten Brink, A. S. Al-Zoubi, C.H. Flores, Y. Rotstein, I. Qabbani, S.H. Harder, Gordon R. Keller
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

A note on the correlation between geophysical observations and seismicity in the Arava/(Araba) Valley at the southern part of the Dead Sea fault A note on the correlation between geophysical observations and seismicity in the Arava/(Araba) Valley at the southern part of the Dead Sea fault

The spatial distribution of the earthquakes in the Arava Valley, a 150-km section of the Dead Sea Transform, is compared for the first time with the local subsurface geological features derived from geophysical and geological data. Gravity data suggested that the Gharandal, Timna, and Elat basins were filled by low-density young sediments. These features were confirmed by seismic...
Authors
M. Rybakov, A. Shapira, A. Al-Zoubi, Uri S. ten Brink, R. Hofstetter, N. Kraeva, L. Feldman

Non-USGS Publications**

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government

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