The United States Geological Survey recorded
a Magnitude 5.2 Earthquake at a depth of 74.6 km roughly 22 km northeast Saint Martin in the Lesser Antilles, slightly after 11.10 am
local time slightly after 3.10 pm GMT) on Sunday 24 December 2017.
This was a moderate quake, and at some
depth as well as some way offshore, and there are no reports of any
casualties or serious damage, though the quake was felt as far away as Puerto Rico and Guadeloupe.
The approximate location of the 24 December 2017 Lesser Antilles Earthquake. USGS.
The
Lesser Antilles are located at the eastern fringe of the Caribbean
Tectonic Plate. The Atlantic Plate (strictly speaking, an extension of
the South American Plate which runs to the northeast of the Caribbean)
is being subducted beneath this, and
as it sinks into the Earth, is melted by the heat of the planets
interior. Some of the melted material then rises up through the
overlying Caribbean Plate as magma, fuelling the volcanoes of the Lesser
Antilles Volcanic Arc. The subduction of the Atlantic Plate beneath the
Caribbean Plate is not a smooth process, with the two plates constantly
sticking together then breaking apart as the tectonic pressure builds
up, causing Earthquakes in the process, though since the boundary
between the two plates is some way to the east of the islands,
Earthquakes in the Lesser Antilles tend to be both deep and offshore,
which lessens their destructive potential.
The subduction of the Atlantic Plate beneath the Caribbean Plate fuels the volcanoes of the Lesser Antilles Volcanic Arc. George Pararas-Carayannis.
Witness
accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events,
and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit
organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.
See also...
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