SUMMER 2003GEOHAZARDS COURSE AT UWI, MONA - page 015

Prepared and compiled by Rafi Ahmad, Unit for Disaster Studies,
Department of Geography and Geology,
University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica
Published geological and seismic data indicate that the following major fault systems in Jamaica (Fig.2) have been active during the last 10 million years:
Duanvale, Spur Tree, Rio Minbo - Crawle River, South Coast, Wagwater, Jacks Hill, and Blue Mountain - Plantain Garden Fault System.
These fault systems are linked with such major offshore faults as Oriente - Swan Fault Zone – Cayman Trough which lies immediately to the north of Jamaica and Enriquillo - Plantain Garden fault zone which continues into Hispaniola via the Jamaica passage (Fig.1).
The hazards associated with seismic activity include such primary effects as ground shaking and fault breakage as well as the secondary effects of liquefaction, landslides - including submarine landslides -, fissuring, differential settling and tsunami.
There is ample evidence in the historic records to indicate that such processes have been the source of major disasters on the island.
Shepherd and Aspinall (1980) have calculated the return periods of earthquakes of MM Intensity VII and greater for the Kingston and St. Andrews areas; for more recenty data, please see CDMP.
According to Shepherd (1971): "from the seismologists' point of view the parishes of Kingston including Port Royal, and lower St. Andrew were probably the worst possible location to choose for the capitol city of Jamaica."

Note: - The 1692 Earthquake was MMI X, the1907 Earthquake MMI IX, and the January 13, 1993 Earthquake was MMI VII. MMI stands for "Modified Mercalli Intensity"
BLO 20010508 corr. Benrafi 20010623 - - - COMMENTS ? - - - next page - - - Table of Contents