Earthquake History
On 11 October 1918, the western coast of the island was hit by a major earthquake which caused a tsunami. In 1953, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, was affected by the Santo Domingo earthquake. The 1918 earthquake was caused by an old left-lateral strike-slip fault near the Mona passage. The actual subduction zone (Puerto Rico Trench) has not ruptured in over 200 years, a major concern to geophysicists.
Puerto Rico in particular has always been an area of concern to earthquake experts because, apart from the 1918 episode, there are frequent cases of tremors in and around the island. A 1981 tremor was felt across the island, while another in 1985 was felt in the towns of Cayey and Salinas.
| Earthquake location | Year | Magnitude |
|---|---|---|
| Puerto Rico Trench |
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| Anegada Trough |
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| Mona Canyon |
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| Mona Canyon |
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| Dominican Republic |
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| Dominican Republic |
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Read more about this topic: Puerto Rico Trench
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