2020 Caribbean earthquake

2020 Caribbean earthquake
Shakemap from USGS
2020 Caribbean earthquake is located in Caribbean
2020 Caribbean earthquake
UTC time2020-01-28 19:10:24
ISC event617210084
USGS-ANSSComCat
Local date28 January 2020 (2020-01-28)
Local time14:10:25
Magnitude7.7 Mw[1]
Depth14.9 km (9 mi)
Epicenter19°25′08″N 78°45′22″W / 19.419°N 78.756°W / 19.419; -78.756
FaultSeptentrional-Oriente fault zone
TypeStrike-slip
Areas affectedCayman Islands
Jamaica
Cuba
United States
Mexico
Max. intensityMMI VI (Strong)[2]
Tsunami0.46 m (1.5 ft) at George Town, Cayman Islands
AftershocksUp to 6.1 Mw[3]
CasualtiesNone

At 02:10 PM local time (UTC-5) on 28 January 2020, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 Mw struck the north side of the Cayman Trough, north of Jamaica and west of the southern tip of Cuba, with the epicenter being 80 miles (130 km) east-southeast of Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands,[4] and 83 miles (134 km) north of Montego Bay, Jamaica.[5] Schools in Jamaica, as well as corporate and public buildings in Miami, were evacuated after shaking was experienced in parts of the U.S. state of Florida, a region not typically thought of in-relation to seismic activity.[6][7] Light shaking was also reported on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico.[8] The quake was the largest seismic event in the Caribbean since 1946.[9] A tsunami warning for the Caribbean Sea was initially issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, later being withdrawn.[10]

In the Caribbean, earthquakes occur frequently, and sometimes, they cause tsunamis. The largest earthquake in the Caribbean occurred on February 8th, 1843; its estimated magnitude is 8.0-8.5 Mw, and it caused 4,000 - 6,000 deaths and strong shaking that caused damage was felt from Sint Maarten to Dominica, even felt 2,000 km away in Washington (state) and Vermont[11]. The Cibao earthquake was the largest recorded earthquake in the Caribbean in 1946, with a magnitude of 8.1 Mw, and caused 75 deaths and 20,000 homeless. This earthquake was continued with aftershocks until 1947-48[11].

  1. ^ ANSS. "Cayman Trough 2020: M 7.7 – 125 km NNW of Lucea, Jamaica". Comprehensive Catalog. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  2. ^ "M 7.7 – 125 km NNW of Lucea, Jamaica – Shakemap". United States Geological Survey.
  3. ^ "6.1-magnitude tremor follows 7.7-magnitude earthquake between Cuba and Jamaica". Global News. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  4. ^ Cayman Prepared (28 January 2020). "Earthquake Tsunami Update". Cayman Islands National Emergency Website. Archived from the original on 25 February 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  5. ^ Allen, Karma (28 January 2020). "Powerful earthquake strikes between Jamaica and Cuba". ABC. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  6. ^ Almasy, Steve; Eshchenko (28 January 2020). "Tsunami threat message issued after magnitude 7.7 earthquake off the coast of Jamaica". CNN. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  7. ^ Dalton, Jane (28 January 2020). "Jamaica earthquake: Huge 7.7-magnitude tremor hits off island's coast". The Independent. Archived from the original on 28 January 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  8. ^ Rice, Doyle (28 January 2020). "Powerful 7.7 earthquake strikes in Caribbean between Cuba and Jamaica". USA Today. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  9. ^ Cappucci, Matthew; Samenow, Jason (28 January 2020). "7.7-magnitude earthquake strikes between Jamaica and Cuba, one of the strongest on record in Caribbean". The Washington Post. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  10. ^ "Caribbean earthquake of 7.7 prompts office evacuations in Miami". BBC News. 28 January 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  11. ^ a b "What was the largest earthquake in the Caribbean? | The UWI Seismic Research Centre". uwiseismic.com. Retrieved 12 November 2024.