140+ quakes in 6 days!! NE of Puerto Rico,U.S.VI,BVI

danman · #41 Postby **danman** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 8:55 pm

Jim Hughes · #42 Postby **Jim Hughes** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 9:38 pm

Like Steve mentioned this is not that unusual at all. Especially after an M =5.3 quake. I use to monitor the earthquake activity for the Long Valley Caldera, in Mammoth Lakes , California , about 8-9 years ago. I did this for almost two years and I posted daily updates quite frequently in the old TWC forum on Compuserve during the most intense seismic periods.

I saw earthquake swarms reach the 500 + level in a 24-36 hour period. The caldera activity is somewhat different of course but 40-50 quakes is no big deal here.

Could the larger quake last week have set the table for something else? Hard to say. A geologist would have to know the earthquake history of the region and the possible stress on these plates to come up with some type of statistical odds.

Jim

#43 Postby **Aslkahuna** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 2:01 am

Ah yes, those were rather lengthy reports as I recall.

Steve

Matt-hurricanewatcher · #44 Postby **Matt-hurricanewatcher** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 2:29 am

Whats the odds that his is a new island forming?

Dr. Jonah Rainwater · #45 Postby **Dr. Jonah Rainwater** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 4:29 am

The odds that an island is being formed by tectonic forces under the Carribbean? No doubt about it, there's pretty good odds that a new island is forming.

The odds that this particular swarm of earthquakes is going to result in a cataclysmic earthquake so enormous it forces that island through thousands of feet of water and through the surface in the next few months?

No idea, man.

Matt-hurricanewatcher · #46 Postby **Matt-hurricanewatcher** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 4:33 am

Hopefully its a big island at least the size of PR forming!

#47 Postby **cycloneye** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 6:54 am

It looks like things are more quiet so far today than in the past 3 days.

https://www.youtube.com/user/senorpepr · #48 Postby **senorpepr** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 6:55 am

Matt-hurricanewatcher wrote:Hopefully its a big island at least the size of PR forming!

Even if there was an island forming... you would never live to see it... nor would your children, grandchildren, or anyone in your family for the next several thousand years (at least).

#49 Postby **bvigal** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 1:13 pm

I've been watching this anomaly in Sombrero/PR Trench/VI platform intersection since early January. It's most likely the 5.3 Thursday night was "the quake", and the rest are aftershocks. (Sure hope so!) Since Atlantic/Caribbean plates intersect and generally move laterally, I don't think we're birthing a volcano or a new island, just standard earthquake stuff.

As for tsunami, many quakes don't cause them, regardless of their strength, it depends upon many different factors, as Jim explained.

We routinely have 125-250 earthquakes/month, but this particular area has been overly-active the last 3 months.

Does it constitute a 'swarm'? I'm asking myself that today. Also catching myself thinking about where to "dive" under something if we start to shake. :lol:

Let me dig out some pics and post here... brb

#50 Postby **bvigal** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 1:27 pm

Top 3 pics are from Anegada, BVI, our out island, nearest to the quake location.
Bottom 3 pics are from Arecibo Observatory, Puerto Rico.
Days are Thursday 2 Mar with quake of 5.3 at 19:06 local time - at very bottom of graph, Friday, and today until about 1pm local (AST).

Here are the plates in PR/VI zone. The area in question is not illustrated very well, without the boundary lines extended, don't know why.

The area which became active in December is Sombrero, but west of Anegada. The area where the quake occurred Thursday and active since is east of Anegada, but still in Sombrero Fault Zone.

#51 Postby **cycloneye** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 4:25 pm

http://temblor.uprm.edu/cgi-bin/new-sea ... mit+Search

6 more quakes today rising the total for the 4 days of March to 72.

Bvigal great stuff there about the Sombrero fault activity.

WindRunner · #52 Postby **WindRunner** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 7:02 pm

This map is starting to show some quakes actually on the island now.

Jim Hughes · #53 Postby **Jim Hughes** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 7:09 pm

Aslkahuna wrote:Ah yes, those were rather lengthy reports as I recall.

Steve

Yes they were rather long. I remember separating the seismic events into different categories. Total number of earthquakes greater than 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 ....... up to > 5.0 .

I also would show those category totals during the past 6 , 12, 24 ....far back as 72 hours. That was when I was trying to show some kind of relationship with you know what.

Jim

whereverwx · #54 Postby **whereverwx** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 7:18 pm

Wow, that's a big number. :eek:

But shouldn't this topic be in another forum? It has nothing to do with tropical cyclones.

#55 Postby **cycloneye** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 7:24 pm

But shouldn't this topic be in another forum? It has nothing to do with tropical cyclones.

Calamity,I thought that being the event occuring in the NE Caribbean or just NE of the islands it would be good to post this theme here.

#56 Postby **JonathanBelles** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 7:25 pm

cycloneye wrote:
But shouldn't this topic be in another forum? It has nothing to do with tropical cyclones.

Calamity,I thought that being the event occuring in the NE Caribbean or just NE of the islands it would be good to post this theme here.

and i agree

#57 Postby **SouthFloridawx** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 8:01 pm

Plus many more people come to the talking tropics it has a total of 367039 view and the closest to that is in the off topic forum. It would recieve the attention that it needs in this forum and serve as a great information tool for those who live in the area of concern so they are aware of the current dangers closest to them.

MiamiensisWx · #58 Postby **MiamiensisWx** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 8:41 pm

WindRunner wrote:This map is starting to show some quakes actually on the island now.

Wow! Some are actually occurring right near San Juan! Luis, have you felt anything yet?

#59 Postby **JonathanBelles** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 9:07 pm

is the puerto rico governement doing anything about it?

#60 Postby **bvigal** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 10:22 pm

That map is showing quakes of all intensity. Humans can't feel anything below about 3.5. Those on Puerto Rico occurred before March 1, and are micro-quakes.

The source Luis posted at the beginning of the thread, PR Seismic Network, is a much more comprehensive souce of information for our area.
http://temblor.uprm.edu/cgi-bin/new-sea ... mit+Search
(scroll to the bottom of list for the map)

140+ quakes in 6 days!! NE of Puerto Rico,U.S.VI,BVI

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