On Friday, July 3, two strong earthquakes hit the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, causing panic in towns. So far, no reports of injuries have been made in the latest succession of tremors that hit the country since late December of last year.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a quake with a magnitude of 5.3 hit the southwest of the island in the afternoon. It was initially recorded at 5.5 but was later downgraded. The quiver came some short hours after a 4.9 magnitude shake hit the same region. Furthermore, the early quake resulted in small landslides and collapses of abandoned homes.
Both earthquakes were felt across Puerto Rico, which was still salvaging damages from a series of quakes experienced last year. Locals in several offices in San Juan and elsewhere were evacuated as a precaution.
Tremors Hit Puerto Rico Once Again
According to Víctor Huérfano, the director of Puerto Rico's Seismic Network, both quivers were aftershocks related to a 6.4-magnitude earthquake that occurred in January. The quake then caused one death and millions of dollars in damage. Huérfano believes that an even stronger earthquake might still follow.
As tectonic plates are settling, the occurrences of the tremors are unpredictable. According to ángel Vázquez, from the emergency management agency in the city of Ponce, the collapsed house came from the town of Lajas.
The complex was empty and booked for demolition, said Kiara Hernández, the spokeswoman for the country's Department of Public Security. The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the quake that struck Friday morning originated three miles southeast of La Parguera, at a 3.7-mile depth.
In the afternoon, the earthquake's epicenter was recorded at 5.9 miles south-southeast of La Parguera at a depth of 1.8 miles. Following the initial tremor, Guánica Mayor, Santos Seda said that a couple of small landslides occurred but thankfully did not put anyone in danger.
Furthermore, he added that squads were inspecting buildings potentially weakened by the recent sequence of tremors.
The mayor said the quakes sparked fear and panic once again in different towns. As many people are still living in makeshift, temporary structures, many are still too scared to return home in fear that a stronger earthquake might occur and cause damages once more.
Why is Puerto Rico Experiencing Too Many Earthquakes?
Puerto Rico has a long history of earthquakes, although significant and catastrophic episodes are rare. The island sits at the edge of the Caribbean tectonic plate, which collides with the North American plate. Such tectonic borders host the wide array of the world's quakes.
According to Susan Hough of the USGS, the whole island of Puerto Rico is an active plate boundary zone. Similar to California, she says that earthquakes are fair game everywhere on the island. However, the U.S. territory's geology is even more complex than most, due to the island being squashed in a tectonic battle.
Under the island's northern coast, the North American plate dives under the Caribbean plate in a subduction zone. Simultaneously, a section of the Caribbean also seems to subduct south of the island at the Muertos trough.
The section is said to be squeezing Puerto Rico in between them, according to the USGS. As a result of the squeezing plates, earthquakes are bound to occur, and lots of them.
