2024 Cuba earthquake
  | |
| UTC time | 2024-11-10 16:49:51 |
|---|---|
| USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
| Local date | 10 November 2024 |
| Local time | 11:49 EST (UTC-05:00) |
| Magnitude | 6.8 Mw |
| Depth | 14.0 km (8.7 mi) |
| Epicenter | 19°48′43″N 77°02′20″W / 19.812°N 77.039°W |
| Fault | Septentrional–Oriente fault zone |
| Type | Strike-slip |
| Areas affected | Cuba. Jamaica. Bahamas. Haiti |
| Max. intensity | VII (Very strong) |
| Foreshocks | Mw 5.9 |
| Aftershocks | 40+ |
| Casualties | 10 injuries |
On 10 November 2024, at 11:49 EST (16:49 UTC), a Mww 6.8 earthquake hit southern Cuba. It was located offshore, with an epicenter 40 km (25 mi) south-southwest of Bartolomé Masó, and happened at a depth of 14.0 km (8.7 mi).[1]
Tectonic setting
[change | change source]The southern coast of Cuba is next to the North American plate. There was a big fault line called the Septentrional-Oriente fault. The North American plate moves west compared to the Gonâve Microplate at 6 to 11 mm per year.[2] This area is where most earthquakes in Cuba happen, with major ones in 1766, 1917,[3] 1932, 1947,[4] 1992,[5] and 2020.
Earthquake
[change | change source]
The earthquake had a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). About 2.1 million people felt moderate shaking or stronger. Light shaking was also felt in Jamaica and western Haiti, with reports from Florida and the Cayman Islands. The quake happened along a fault moving sideways, with the fault line running east-west and slanting steeply to the north.[1]
A Mw 5.9 foreshock happened at 15:50 UTC (10:50 EST), also registering an estimated Mercalli intensity of VII (Very Strong).[6]
Impact
[change | change source]Ten people were injured from the earthquake. Seventy-eight homes were destroyed, while 5,116 others, along with 474 public buildings, a dock, and the Faro Vargas lighthouse were damaged.[7][8]
The earthquake struck just four days after Hurricane Rafael,[9] which caused a power outage across the island. This outage was still ongoing during the earthquake, making it hard for officials to give updates.[10] The shaking was felt across eastern Cuba, including big cities like Santiago de Cuba.[11]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 National Earthquake Information Center (10 November 2024). "M 6.8 - 40 km SSW of Bartolomé Masó, Cuba". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ↑ Cotilla Rodríguez, M.O. (2003). "The Santiago de Cuba earthquake of 11 June 1766: Some new insights". Geofísica Internacional. 42 (4): 589–602. Bibcode:2003GeofI..42..589C. doi:10.22201/igeof.00167169p.2003.42.4.313.
- ↑ National Earthquake Information Center. "M 7.1 - 84 km SW of Niquero, Cuba". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ↑ National Earthquake Information Center. "M 6.6 - 60 km SSW of Guantánamo, Cuba". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ↑ National Earthquake Information Center. "M 6.8 - 56 km SSW of Niquero, Cuba". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ↑ National Earthquake Information Center (10 November 2024). "M 5.9 - 35 km S of Bartolomé Masó, Cuba". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ↑ "Para recuperarse de los daños, avanzar de forma progresiva y firme". CMHW (in Spanish). 14 November 2024. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- ↑ "Damage to the Pilón dock reveals the strength of the earthquakes in eastern Cuba". Cibercuba. 11 November 2024. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
- ↑ "Hurricane Rafael knocks out Cuba's power grid and heads into the Gulf on a much different path". CNN. 7 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ↑ "Un sismo de magnitud 6, seguido de una réplica mayor, sacude el oriente cubano" (in Spanish). 14ymedio. 10 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ↑ "Sismo de magnitud 6,8 sacude Cuba tras huracán y apagones" [6.8 magnitude earthquake hits Cuba after hurricane and blackouts]. Associated Press (in Spanish). 10 November 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2024.