Natural Hazards of the Caribbean
Due to its extensive and interesting tectonic environment, the Caribbean region is rife with natural hazards. From earthquakes to tsunamis and volcanoes, the potential for disaster in this region is remarkable.
Due to its extensive and interesting tectonic environment, the Caribbean region is rife with natural hazards. From earthquakes to tsunamis and volcanoes, the potential for disaster in this region is remarkable.
Seismicity of the Caribbean region. Dots show location of damaging earthquakes of magnitude 4.6 or greater (Shedlocke, 1999).
Earthquakes ocurring along the boundaries of the Gonâve plate from 1964-2010 (Beford et al., 2012).
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Earthquakes
Seismicity in the Caribbean region is focused along the Antilles Arc, where the Caribbean plate overrides the North American plate (Shedlocke, 1999). In this region, shallow intraplate earthquakes dominate at plate boundaries (Shedlocke, 1999). In terms of earthquakes, the Gonâve microplate is of particular interest to study. Its hazardous seismic environment leaves the area vulnerable to massive earthquakes. Left-lateral slip along the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault zone at a rate of 6.8 mm/yr leads to an accumulated seismic moment deficit large enough to cause a M~7every 60-70 years (Benford et al., 2012). The annual to bi-annual large earthquakes may occur anywhere along the Gondâve-Caribbean boundary causing devastating earthquakes, such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake. This devastating M 7.0 earthquake was caused by release of strain from the Léogâne fault. The Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault zone still poses a threat to the region as it still hasn’t released significant amounts of seismic strain (Calais et al., 2010). |
Volcanoes
Volcanic activity in the Caribbean is extensive and often devastating. The Lesser Antilles, on the Caribbean plate, are comprised of a volcanic arc where there remain many live volcanoes. Volcanism along this arc is a result of subduction of North American lithosphere under the Caribbean plate (Kokelaar, 2002). In this region, volcanic eruptions have caused major destruction of infrastructure and the loss of over 40 000 lives (Smith and Shepherd, 1993).
Volcanic activity in the Caribbean is extensive and often devastating. The Lesser Antilles, on the Caribbean plate, are comprised of a volcanic arc where there remain many live volcanoes. Volcanism along this arc is a result of subduction of North American lithosphere under the Caribbean plate (Kokelaar, 2002). In this region, volcanic eruptions have caused major destruction of infrastructure and the loss of over 40 000 lives (Smith and Shepherd, 1993).
The most frequently active volcano in this arc is
Kick ‘em Jenny, a submarine volcano that erupted most recently in December 2001 (Lindsay et al., 2005). Due to volcanic eruptions, this volcano has grown in height by approximately 60m over the last 30 years, standing at a height of about 500m above the surrounding seafloor (Smith and Shepherd, 1993). The hazardous effects of Kick ‘em Jenny are largely unknown, however, the possibility of a tsunami being generated due to an eruption is highly likely, leaving nearby islands vulnerable (Smith and Shepherd, 1993). Listen to Steve Carey, a marine geologist, outline the Kick 'em Jenny leg of the 2013 Nautilus Exploration Program in the video to the right. |
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On-land volcanoes also pose a significant threat to the inhabitants of the Caribbean. Two historical volcanic events were particularly destructive in the last century, the first being the eruption of Mont Pelée on the island of Martinique. In 1902, pyroclastic flows destroyed the town of St. Pierre (Fisher and Heiken, 1982).
The island of Montserrat underwent a long-lasting eruption of the Soufrière Hills Volcano, a volcano which began forming in the Miocene (Kokelaar, 2002). From 1995 to 1999, this volcano underwent an extreme eruption that caused much damage and devastation to the island of Montserrat. Volcanotectonic earthquakes occurred in the region pre-eruption, however the earthquakes were unable to predict the extent to which this volcano would damage the region (Kokelaar, 2002). Pyroclastic flows wiped out much of the surrounding area, causing extensive damage to infrastructure (Kokelaar, 2002).
NEWS!!!
A Magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the Northern Shore of Puerto Rico on January 13th, 2014. Click here for an update! |
References Cited:
Benford, B., DeMets, C., Calais, E. (2012). GPS estimates of microplate motions, northern Caribbean: evidence for a Hispaniola microplate and implications for earthquake hazard. Geophysical Journal International, 191(2), 481-490
Calais, E., Freed, A., Mattioli, Amelung, F., Jónsson, S., Jansma, P., Hong, S., Dixon, T., Prépetit, C., Momplaisir, R. (2010). Transpressional rupture of an unmapped fault during the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Nature Geoscience, 3, 794-799
Kokelaar, B. P. (2002). Setting, Consequences and Chronology of the eruption of Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat (1995-1999). Geological Society Memoir, 21, 1-43
Shedlocke, K. M. (1999). Seismic hazard map of North and Central America and the Caribbean. Annali di Geofisica, 42(6), 977-997
Smith, M. S., Shepherd, J. B. (1993). Preliminary Investigations of the Tsunami Hazard of Kick 'em Jenny Submarine Volcano. Natural Hazards, 7(3), 257-2777, n, 3p. 257-277
Benford, B., DeMets, C., Calais, E. (2012). GPS estimates of microplate motions, northern Caribbean: evidence for a Hispaniola microplate and implications for earthquake hazard. Geophysical Journal International, 191(2), 481-490
Calais, E., Freed, A., Mattioli, Amelung, F., Jónsson, S., Jansma, P., Hong, S., Dixon, T., Prépetit, C., Momplaisir, R. (2010). Transpressional rupture of an unmapped fault during the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Nature Geoscience, 3, 794-799
Kokelaar, B. P. (2002). Setting, Consequences and Chronology of the eruption of Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat (1995-1999). Geological Society Memoir, 21, 1-43
Shedlocke, K. M. (1999). Seismic hazard map of North and Central America and the Caribbean. Annali di Geofisica, 42(6), 977-997
Smith, M. S., Shepherd, J. B. (1993). Preliminary Investigations of the Tsunami Hazard of Kick 'em Jenny Submarine Volcano. Natural Hazards, 7(3), 257-2777, n, 3p. 257-277