23 Earthquakes Recorded In 2015

Haiti - Security : 23 earthquakes recorded in 2015
12/04/2015 09:27:20

During the first quarter of 2015, the Seismic Technical Unit (UTS) of the Bureau of Mines and Energy (BME) recorded and located about 40 earthquakes on the entire island, including 23 in Haiti, of magnitudes between 2.93 and 4.69 on the Richter scale, of low to moderate intensities ranging from III to V on the scale of macro-seismic intensities (I: not felt; II: very low; III: small; IV: light; V: moderate).

From these 23 shaking, 6 were felt by the population of Haiti: January 13, 2015 in Port-au-Prince on 22 February around Tiburon (source DPC), February 22 in Grand-Goâve, on 23 March in Bombardopolis, March 24 in Anse-à-Pitre and Thiotte and March 25 2015 in Miragoâne (DPC).

Analysis of earthquakes located :

• 69.5% are in the South and West Peninsula ;
  
• 18 % in the North;
  
• 12.5 % in the Artibonite ;
  
• The distribution of earthquakes is random, it concerns the whole country and do not necessarily follow the route of the major active faults known ;
  
• 40% of the epicentres are found at sea ;
  
• Microseismicity is quite active on the island.

In addition, the UTS informs that the space geodetic GPS measurements, to assess the rate of deformation of the major faults are continuing and that average shifts measured on the fault of the South Peninsula is 5.1 to 5.8 mm / year and 12 mm / year on the northern fault (Calais et al. 2010).

List of felt and unfelt tremors (January to March 2015) :
(*) Tremors felt



The engineer Claude Prépetit, Coordinator of the UTS at BME explain "Your testimonials We are interested and will allow the engineers and seismologists to better take into account local specificities in the mitigation of seismic risk in Haiti. Actual intensities (shaking severity on the ground in a given place, which is deducted from the telluric effects) can only be properly determined by the testimonials. If you felt an earthquake, even slightly, you are asked to report it to the UTS by calling: 34 01 58 92".

HL/ HaitiLibre