|
The Puerto Rico Trench is a seismic fault located in the Caribbean sea and the Atlantic ocean. Because virtually all of the land composing Puerto Rico lays over part of the fault, the trench has been named after that small, half-American, half-independent nation.
Specifics
The Puerto Rico Trench expands from Trinidad and Tobago all the way to the Dominican Republic, therefore covering the vast majority of the Caribbean. At more than 8,400 meters under sea water, it is, according to research, the deepest point in the Atlantic ocean. Scientists and seismologists alike believe that if the fault causes an earthquake, consequences could be equally or more devastating than those earthquakes caused by other, better known faults, such as the San Andreas fault in California. Not everyone in the general public on the nations located over the Puerto Rico trench knows about the trench, as governments of the nations in the area have generally spoken little about the trench, mainly because of two reasons: tourism is essential for those nations to survive and knowledge of the danger of an earthquake in the Caribbean could hurt revenue from that industry, and, on the other hand, those governments also want to prevent public fear.
The Puerto Rico Trench is located at a boundary between two plates that pass each other with only a small component of subduction. The trench is a tectonically active area, which also explains the presence of active volcanoes over the southeastern part of the Caribbean sea. Volcanic activity is frequent on some southeast Caribbean nations; with many volcanoes proving to be disastrous to some nations. Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic do not have active volcanoes, therefore, the largest worries on those islands are earthquakes.
Because of the area's tropical nature, tsunamis are also highly possible, and scientific studies have concluded that the Puerto Rico trench fault is one of the areas of the world that is more likely to be affected by a tsunami.
History
In 1918, the city of Mayaguez was hit by the Mayaguez earthquake, which is famous in the area, and was, in fact, caused by a tsunami. In 1953, Santo Domingo was affected by the Santo Domingo earthquake. Experts blame both tragic earthquakes on the Puerto Rico trench fault.
Puerto Rico in particular has always been an area that worries earthquake experts because, apart from the 1918 episode, there are frequent cases of earth-shaking movements in the island, such as the 1981 tremor, which was felt across the island, the 1985 tremor felt on the same night in the towns of Cayey and Salinas, and the Mameyes slide, which also happened in 1985, killing hundreds in the city of Ponce.
Since 1988, the Puerto Rican Seismic society has been trying to use the Puerto Rican media to inform people about a future earthquake that could result in a catastrophic tragedy.
In 2004, reverend Jorge Raschke, in a widely critizized move, predicted an earthquake would happen in Puerto Rico during 2005, and he claimed that those not converted into Christianity would suffer the most severe consequences. His prediction has caused many well known figures to criticize him because of the fear effect it could have in children and mentally-ill people, among others. Most Puerto Ricans, however, have taken the prediction as a way by Rashke to try to convince more Puerto Ricans to convert to his religion.
But after the 2004 tsunami that affected more than forty countries in the Indian ocean, many fear of the consequences that such an event would bring to the Caribbean, should it occur there. Many governments have begun emergency plan preparing, and, in Puerto Rico and the USVI's cases, the United States government is particularly taking interest in emergency planning, since those islands are, technically speaking at least, still a part of the States.
|
