Jamaica and Earthquakes

The Government of Jamaica funds the Earthquake Unit (EQU). The EQU is a Research Unit of the Department of Geology and Geography in the Faculty of Science and Technology at the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies. 

The EQU serves as Jamaica's hub for earthquake monitoring and research. The central Recording station at The University of The West Indies, Mona operates the Jamaica Seismograph Network (JSN), the Jamaica Strong Motion Network (JSMN) and a Global Positioning System network, which together measure a range of crustal movements weak and strong coseismic displacements to very small aseismic strains.

About 200 earthquakes are located in and around Jamaica per year most of which are minor, having magnitudes less than 4.0.

Jamaica itself is traversed by a number of geological faults.

Presently the Jamaica Seismograph Network consists of twelve permanent short-period seismograph station.

1 According to the Earthquake United the University of the West Indies, about 200 earthquakes are located in and around Jamaica per year most of which are minor, having magnitudes less than 4.0.

2 The dates of Jamaica’s most damaging earthquakes were: 1667, March 1, 1688, June 7, 1692, September 3, 1771, November 11, 1812, April 10, 1824, November 5, 1839, January 14, 1907, August 3, 1914, July 5, 1943, March 1, 1957, January 13, 1993, June 12, 2005. 

3 The largest and most damaging natural disaster in Jamaica was the famous Port Royal earthquake of June 7, 1692. It was felt island-wide and a part of Port Royal sank into the sea.  It was reported that at least 2,000 persons died as a result of an outbreak of yellow fever, which developed after the quake.

4 On January 14, 1907, the city of Kingston was severely damaged by an earthquake. It was reported that over 1,000 people died mostly in the fires following the main shock and after-shocks. After-shocks continued for the rest of the year.

5 The largest event after 1907 was on March 1, 1957.  Buildings and infrastructure in Western Jamaica suffered the most damage and a bit of the Port Royal coast sank into the sea.

Jamaica, with parts of Cuba and Hispaniola showing relevant plate boundaries 

red dots represent past epicenters 

sources: http://www.mona.uwi.edu/earthquake/index.php

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/letters/Are-we-ready-for-an-earthquake-_18840714

Layers of the Earth and Plate Tectonics

           The Caribbean Plate        

   The Island of Jamaica lies on the Caribbean Plate

The Caribbean Plate lies in a complex area with two major plates and two minor plates bordering it. The plate includes oceanic and continental crust. The Caribbean Sea covers most of the plate with Central America and volcanic islands covering the rest. The edges of the plate have intense seismic activity, frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Puerto Rico Trench

Between the North American Plate and this plate is a transform boundary and a subduction zone. The Puerto Rico trench runs between the plates and is the deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean. The trench is 8,400 meters deep. Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are on the Caribbean  side of the trench.

Dangerous volcanoes

The area also contains seventeen active and dangerous volcanoes. Two notorious volcanoes in the area are Soufriere Hills on Montserrat and Mount Pelee on Martinique.

Plate boundaries

The southern border of the plate interacts with the South American Plate. The petroleum fields of Venezuela are thought to be a result of the interaction between the two plates.

Caribbean Islands

Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago islands all formed on the Caribbean side of the plates. Between these two plates there is a transform fault, thrust faults, and a subduction zone.

Western section

The western section of the plate includes Central America. The Cocos Plate in the Pacific Ocean is subducting beneath the Caribbean Plate forming the Central America Volcanic Arc with volcanoes in Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.

Work and photo credits

http://www.kids-fun-science.com/caribbean-plate.html

http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/03trench/trench/trench.html

http://education.maps.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?layers=69cb1f185afa47528708dbaa89e0729b&useExisting=1

The difference between hazards, disasters, and catastrophes.

The difference between hazards, disasters, and catastrophes.

Events such as earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, and fires are natural process that have been occurring on Earth’s surface since long before it was populated by humans. These natural processes became hazardous when human beings live or work in their path. We often use the terms hazard, disaster, or catastrophe to describe our interaction with these natural processes.

A Natural Hazard is a natural process and event that is a potential threat to human life and property. The process and events themselves are not a hazard but become so because of human use of the land.

A Disaster is a hazardous event that occurs over a limited time span in a defined area. Criteria for a natural disaster are. 

1. Ten or more people killed.

2. 100 or more people affected.

3. A state of emergency is declared.

4. International assistance is requested.

A Catastrophe is a massive disaster that requires significant expenditure of money and a long time for recovery to take place.

JAMAICA FACTS AND COUNTRY INFORMATION...

The indigenous people, the Taíno, called it Xaymaca in Arawakan, meaning the "Land of Wood and Water"

Jamaica was inhabited by Arawak Indians when Columbus explored it in 1494 and named it St. Iago. It remained under Spanish rule until 1655, when it became a British possession. Buccaneers operated from Port Royal, also the capital, until it fell into the sea in an earthquake in 1692. Disease decimated the Arawaks, so black slaves were imported to work on the sugar plantations. During the 17th and 18th centuries the British were consistently harassed by the Maroons, armed bands of freed slaves roaming the countryside. Abolition of the slave trade (1807), emancipation of the slaves (1833), and a drop in sugar pr

ices eventually led to a depression that resulted in an uprising in 1865. The following year Jamaica became a Crown colony, and conditions improved considerably. Introduction of bananas reduced dependence on sugar.

On May 5, 1953, Jamaica gained internal autonomy, and, in 1958, superheaded the organization of the West Indies Federation. After a referendum, Jamaica became independent on Aug. 6, 1962. Michael Manley, of the socialist People's National Party, became prime minister in 1972.

Jamaica is an island country and a part of the Commonwealth Caribbean. It is also the third largest island in the Greater Antilles as it covers an area of 10,911 square kilometers. The country also has a combined coastline of 1,022 kilometers.

The highest point in the country measures in at 2,256 meters above sea level and is known as the Blue Mountain Peak. The lowest point however rests at the mean sea level. Jamaica is an island that forms the arc of volcanic islands in the greater islands.

There are three main mountain ranges in the country, the Blue Mountains, John Crow Mountains and the Dry Harbour Mountains.  More than 2 thirds of the country is covered with a high limestone plateau. The Cockpit Country of the nation is place with deep gorges and fissures. The northeastern and southern coasts of the country are completely different from each other.

The former is continuously eroded by the ocean whereas the latter has more of fertile plains. The country has two distinctive climates in the low and high areas. Most of it is tropical but the rainfall is substantially higher in the mountainous regions.

Jamaica lies in the hurricane belt of the Atlantic Ocean and because of this, the island sometimes suffers significant storm damage. Hurricanes Charlie and Gilber hit Jamaica directly in 1951 and 1988, respectively, causing major damage and many deaths. In the 2000s (decade), hurricanes Ivan, Dean and Gustav also brought severe weather to the island.

Among the variety of terrestrial, aquatic and marine ecosystems are dry and wet limestone forests, rainforest, riparian woodland, wetlands, caves, rivers, seagrass beds and coral reefs. The authorities have recognized the tremendous significance and potential of the environment and have designated some of the more 'fertile' areas as 'protected'. In 1992, Jamaica's first marine park, covering nearly 15 square kilometres (5.8 sq mi), was established in Montego Bay. Portland Bight Protected Area was designated in 1999.

The following year Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park was created on roughly 300 square miles (780 km²) of wilderness, which supports thousands of tree and fern species and rare animals.