SUMMER 2003GEOHAZARDS COURSE AT UWI, MONA - page 029

Prepared and compiled by Rafi Ahmad, Unit for Disaster Studies,
Department of Geography and Geology,
University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica

GEOLOGY AND EARTHQUAKE IMPACT IN JAMAICA

Note:See section 2.1.1 on seismicity and geological structure

The damage resulting from an earthquake in Jamaica is controlled by the site geology.
Two Geological Processes are Important:

1. Ground Amplification ( Ground Shaking) is a term which describes the actual trembling or jerking motion produced by the earthquake waves.
The site geology affects the degree of shaking in general. The severity of shaking is greater on sites underlined by unconsolidated sediments (e.g. Liguanea Plain) than sites on rocks (e.g. Red Hills).

2. Ground Failure includes all processes where ground fails in response to ground acceleration from an earthquake. Two processes have been identified:

a) Liquefaction
b) Landslides.
Both are commonly known to have occurred in Jamaica.
"In Jamaica shaking has been the most frequent cause of earthquake damage whereas ground failures or a combination of ground failure and shaking has been the most serious cause of damage" (Shepherd, 1971).

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