Great Northern Puerto Rico fault zone

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The Great Northern Puerto Rico fault zone (GNPRfz, in Spanish: zona de la Gran Falla del Norte de Puerto Rico) is a major cluster of parallel strike-slip faults located in eastern Puerto Rico. [1] The fault cluster runs roughly about 270 km, spreading northwestwardly inland along the southern edge of the Sierra de Luquillo and extending between the municipalities of Naguabo and Vega Baja. [2] It is located in and represents a portion of the sideways shearing motion between the North American and Caribbean plates. [3] This fault zone was first identified and officially named in 1978 as part of United States Geological Survey (USGS) mappings of the Humacao (USGS Map I‑1070) and Naguabo–Puerca quadrangles (USGS Map I‑1099). [4] Some notable earthquakes to occur along this fault zone happened in 1974, 1990 and 2010. [5] [6] [7] Although no large seismic events have been recorded in modern times, it is estimated that some of the faults in the zone are capable of producing moderate to strong earthquakes (magnitude 6–7+). [1] [3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Jessica Thompson Jobe, Richard W. Briggs, Uri ten Brink, Thomas L. Pratt, Kenneth Stephen Hughes, Alexandra E. Hatem, Christopher B. DuRoss, Nadine G. Reitman, Julie A. Herrick, Sylvia Nicovich, Camille M. Collett, Katherine M. Scharer, Stephen B. DeLong; Geologic Input Databases for the 2025 Puerto Rico—U.S. Virgin Islands National Seismic Hazard Model Update: Crustal Faults Component. Seismological Research Letters 2024;; 96 (2A): 1018–1044. doi: https://doi.org/10.1785/0220230222
  2. ↑ Mueller C, Frankel A, Petersen M, Leyendecker E. New Seismic Hazard Maps for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Earthquake Spectra. 2010;26(1):169-185. doi:10.1193/1.3277667
  3. 1 2 Lin, G., V. A. Huerfano, and W. Fan (2021). Crustal Architecture of Puerto Rico Using BodyWave Seismic Tomography and HighResolution Earthquake Relocation, Seismol. Res. Lett. XX, 1–12, doi: 10.1785/ 0220210223.
  4. ↑ Tuttle, M. Tuttle & Associates (2007). "STUDY OF SOURCE, MAGNITUDE, AND RECURRENCE TIME OF LARGE EARTHQUAKES AFFECTING NORTHERN PUERTO RICO: Collaborative Research, M. Tuttle & Associates and Central Region Hazards Team, U.S. Geological Survey" (PDF). USGS.
  5. ↑ "M 4.7 - 1 km NE of Vega Alta, Puerto Rico". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  6. ↑ "M 4.7 - 1 km W of Juncos, Puerto Rico". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  7. ↑ "M 5.1 - 3 km W of Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2025-08-14.


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