1984 San Pedro Basin earthquake

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1984 San Pedro Basin earthquake
Dominican Republic relief location map.jpg
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Santo Domingo
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La Romana
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UTC  time1984-06-24 11:17:14
ISC  event 551495
USGS-ANSS ComCat
Local date24 June 1984 (1984-06-24)
Local time07:17:14
Magnitude6.7 Mw [1]
Depth35 km [1]
Epicenter 17°58′N69°18′W / 17.97°N 69.3°W / 17.97; -69.3 [1]
TypeThrust
Areas affected Dominican Republic
Total damageLimited [2]
Max. intensity MMI VII (Very strong) [3]
Casualties5 deaths

The 1984 San Pedro Basin earthquake occurred on June 24 at 07:17:14 local time with a moment magnitude of 6.7 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII (Very strong). The event occurred off the southern coast of the Dominican Republic and resulted in an estimated five fatalities.

Contents

Tectonic setting

The northern boundary of the Caribbean plate is a diffuse zone of varied fault types. The Muertos Trough marks the southern portion of this zone of deformation with north dipping convergence. [4]

Earthquake

This thrust earthquake occurred on a shallow and north-dipping fault and, at the time, it was the largest instrumentally recorded event in the Los Muertos Trough. [5]

Intensity

The United States Geological Survey estimated that more than 227,000 people were exposed to intensity VII (Very strong) shaking and more than 2.8 million experienced intensity VI (Strong) shaking. [3]

Aftershock

Five hours after the mainshock, a destructive 5.2 Mw aftershock occurred about 5–10 miles to the northeast. Five deaths are also attributed to this event. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. 1 2 3 ISC (2015), ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2009), Version 2.0, International Seismological Centre
  2. National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS) (1972), Significant Earthquake Database (Data Set), National Geophysical Data Center, NOAA, doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K
  3. 1 2 EXPO-CAT Earthquake Catalog, Version 2007-12, United States Geological Survey, December 1, 2008
  4. Yeats, R. (2012), Active Faults of the World, Cambridge University Press, p. 147, ISBN   978-0521190855
  5. Dolan, J. F.; Mullins, H. T.; Wald, D. J. (1998), "Active tectonics of the north-central Caribbean: Oblique collision, strain partitioning, and opposing subducted slabs", Active Strike-slip and Collisional Tectonics of the Northern Caribbean Plate Boundary Zone, Special Paper 326, Geological Society of America, p. 42, ISBN   978-0813723266
  6. PAGER-CAT Earthquake Catalog, Version 2008_06.1, United States Geological Survey, September 4, 2009