Dominican Republic: Earthquake Haiti

Dominican Republic: Earthquake Haiti 2010

The catastrophic earthquake (100.000 to 300.000 dead) in Haiti on 12 January 2010, at 16:53 hrs local time, brought no damage in the Dominican Republic, although the country has to do with the same fault lines. Below is a brief explanation about the origin of the earthquake and the real chance at a new one. (source Marc Mantz).

Global tectonics
The American plate and the African plate move apart (divergence zone) allowing the American plate moving to the West. In Central America and the Caribbean is a small plate located, the Caribbean plate.

American and African plate diverge.

Dual tension
The Caribbean plate hampers the American plate in his movement towards the West because this plate is hardly moving.
This creates two tension zones in the environment of Hispaniola:

1. East of the Caribbean plate the American plate moves under the Caribbean plate (subduction zone) causing a deep narrow gorge (trough). So the Caribbean island arc was formed which is very sensitive for earthquakes.

2. North of the Caribbean plate is Hispaniola situated, the American plate and the Caribbean plate scroll along each other (transform fault zone). The American plate moves significantly faster (2,5 cm per year) to the West than the Caribbean plate (1 cm per year).

Caribbean plate has a subduction zone in the East and in the North a transform fault zone.

Tectonics of Hispaniola
In a tectonic way the location of Hispaniola is very unfortunate because there are two fault zones in this island. Both zones are part of the transform fault zone with the American plate.

1. In the North is the Septentrional fault zone located.

2. In the South is the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault zone located.

Situation of the fault zones on Hispaniola.

The earthquake in Haiti
The earthquake took place southwest of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, caused by the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault zone in the South of Haiti.
A property of a transform fault zone is that the underground location (hypocenter) of the earthquake has a shallow depth. So more energy is moved directly to the surface (epicenter) than in other fault zones such as divergent or convergent fault zones.

Difference between hypocenter and epicenter is the depth.

In spite of the predictions it was impossible to get a correct timing of this earthquake to announce. In recent years a lot of tension accumulated in the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault zone causing the violent earthquake:

This creates an earthquake.

1. The American plate moved westward over the last few years.

2. The Caribbean plate hardly moves.

3. As a result, much tension has been built up in the fault zones of Haiti. Temporarily a lot of energy has been stored in the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault zone.

4. A correction is needed to get rid of the energy, an earthquake take place. The plates in the transform fault zone of Haiti are located in a new rest position.

5. The process starts again. Tension builds up and it is waiting for the next earthquake.

An earthquake with a magnitude value of 7 on the Richter scale is terribly powerful!

Future?
The Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault zone in the South of Haiti has lost it's tension. The Septentrional fault zone in the North is still full of energy and most likely there will take place another earthquake somewhere along this fault zone in the near future. The inhabitants who have survived this earthquake can keep in mind they will experience another one!

Click the following pictures to enlarge them!

Earthquakes Hispaniola. Azua has already been affected (1751)! Map of the northern Caribbean plate.

The National Palace in Port-au-Prince, before and after the earthquake. The Cathedral of Port-au-Prince, before and after the earthquake.

Dominican Republic: Catastrophes

	Earthquake Haiti	Tropical storm Olga	Tropical storm Noel	Hurricane Jeanne	The rains may 2004	Tropical storm Odette	Air crash 2001	Hurricane Georges

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1.	East of the Caribbean plate the American plate moves under the Caribbean plate (subduction zone) causing a deep narrow gorge (trough). So the Caribbean island arc was formed which is very sensitive for earthquakes.
2.	North of the Caribbean plate is Hispaniola situated, the American plate and the Caribbean plate scroll along each other (transform fault zone). The American plate moves significantly faster (2,5 cm per year) to the West than the Caribbean plate (1 cm per year).

1.	In the North is the Septentrional fault zone located.
2.	In the South is the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault zone located.

1.	The American plate moved westward over the last few years.
2.	The Caribbean plate hardly moves.
3.	As a result, much tension has been built up in the fault zones of Haiti. Temporarily a lot of energy has been stored in the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault zone.
4.	A correction is needed to get rid of the energy, an earthquake take place. The plates in the transform fault zone of Haiti are located in a new rest position.
5.	The process starts again. Tension builds up and it is waiting for the next earthquake.

Earthquakes Hispaniola. Azua has already been affected (1751)!		Map of the northern Caribbean plate.

The National Palace in Port-au-Prince, before and after the earthquake.		The Cathedral of Port-au-Prince, before and after the earthquake.