Magnitude 5.9 Earthquake to the northeast of the Dominican Republic.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.9 Earthquake at a depth of 46 km roughly 109 km to the northeast of the Dominican Republic, slightly before 1.50 am local time (slightly before 5.50 am GMT) on Tuesday 25 February 2025. There are no reports of any damage or injuries associated with this event, and nor was a tsunami warning issued but people have reported feeling it across the eastern Dominican Republic as well as on Puerto Rico.

The approximate location of the 25 February 2025 Puerto Rico Earthquake. USGS.

The Dominican Republic forms the eastern part of the island of La Hispaniola, in the Greater Antilles.  The island has a complex geological structure, with parts of it lying on three different tectonic plates, and two plate margins running east-to-west across the island. The northernmost part of the island lies on the North American Plate. This is divided from the Gonâve Microplate by the Septentrional Fault Zone, which runs through Rio San Juan, along the north coast of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, then across the Windward Passage and along the south coast of Cuba. The Gonâve Microplate is moving east relative to the North American Plate, pushed by the Mid-Cayman Spreading centre to the west of Jamaica. To the south the Gonâve Microplate is separated from the Caribbean Plate by the Enriquilo-Plantain Garden Fault Zone, which runs across Southern Haiti and the Dominican Republic. To the west the fault runs through central Jamaica. The Caribbean Plate is rotating clockwise, effectively moving east relative to the Gonâve Microplate.

Plate movements and fault zones around the Gonâve Microplate. Mike Norton/Wikimedia Commons.

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Magnitude 6.1 earthquake off the south coast of Cuba.

The National Seismological Research Service of Cuba recorded a Magnitude 6.1 Earthquake at a depth of 9 km, about 35 km off the south coast of Cuba at about 1.00 am local time (about 6.00 am GMT) on Monday 23 December 2024. The event was felt across eastern Cuba, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands, and while there are no reports of any injuries, minor damage to buildings has been reported from across eastern Cuba, and several roads were blocked by landslides triggered by the Earthquake.

The approximate location of the 23 January 2024 Cuba Earthquake. USGS.

Cuba lies on the southern portion of the North American Plate, to the north of the Septentrional Fault Zone, which forms the boundary with the Gonâve Microplate, a small tectonic plate underlying northern Jamaica and most of the island of Hispaniola. The Gonâve Microplate is moving east relative to the North American Plate, pushed by the Mid-Cayman Spreading centre to the west of Jamaica.

To the south the Gonâve Microplate is separated from the Caribbean Plate by the Enriquilo-Plantain Garden Fault Zone, which runs across Southern Haiti and the Dominican Republic. To the west the fault runs through central Jamaica. The Caribbean Plate is rotating clockwise, effectively moving east relative to the Gonâve Microplate.

Plate movements and fault zones around the Gonâve Microplate. Mike Norton/Wikimedia Commons.

None of these movements are smooth, with rock formations at the boundaries of the plates constantly sticking together then breaking apart as the pressure from the plate movement builds up, triggering Earthquakes in the process.

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Four dead following Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake in Haiti.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.9 Earthquake at a depth of 10.0 km roughly 9 km to the northeast of the commune of Les Abricots on the northern side of the Tiburon Peninsula, Haiti, slightly after 5.10 am local time (slightly after 9.10 am GMT) on Tuesday 6 June 2023. Four people are known to have died following this event, and injuring more than 25, including several children. Three of the deceased are reported to be members of the same family, killed when their house collapsed. 

The approximate location of the 6 June 2023 Haiti Earthquake. USGS.

Haiti forms the western part of the island of La Hispaniola, in the Greater Antilles. The island has a complex geological structure, with parts of it lying on three different tectonic plates, and two plate margins running east-to-west across the island. The northernmost part of the island lies on the North American Plate. This is divided from the Gonâve Microplate by the Septentrional Fault Zone, which runs through Rio San Juan, along the north coast of the Dominican Republic and the Tiburon Peninsula of Haiti, then across the Windward Passage and along the south coast of Cuba. The Gonâve Microplate is moving east relative to the North American Plate, pushed by the Mid-Cayman Spreading centre to the west of Jamaica. To the south the Gonâve Microplate is separated from the Caribbean Plate by the Enriquilo-Plantain Garden Fault Zone, which runs across Southern Haiti and the Dominican Republic. To the west the fault runs through central Jamaica. The Caribbean Plate is rotating clockwise, effectively moving east relative to the Gonâve Microplate.

Plate movements and fault zones around the Gonâve Microplate. Mike Norton/Wikimedia Commons.

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Magnitude 5.3 Earthquake beneath the Tiburon Peninsula, Haiti.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.1 Earthquake at a depth of 10.0 km roughly 4 km to the south of the commune of Anse-à-Veau on the northern side of the Tiburon Peninsula, Haiti, slightly after 8.15 am local time (slightly after 1.15 pm GMT) on Monday 24 January 2022. Two people are reported to have died in the incident, with dozens more injured and damage reported to hundreds of buildings. The initial event was followed by a number of significant aftershocks, including a Magnitude 5.1 Earthquake 50 minutes after the initial quake.

 

 The approximate location of the 24 January 2022 Haiti Earthquake. USGS.

Haiti forms the western part of the island of La Hispaniola, in the Greater Antilles. The island has a complex geological structure, with parts of it lying on three different tectonic plates, and two plate margins running east-to-west across the island. The northernmost part of the island lies on the North American Plate. This is divided from the Gonâve Microplate by the Septentrional Fault Zone, which runs through Rio San Juan, along the north coast of the Dominican Republic and the Tiburon Peninsula of Haiti, then across the Windward Passage and along the south coast of Cuba. The Gonâve Microplate is moving east relative to the North American Plate, pushed by the Mid-Cayman Spreading centre to the west of Jamaica. To the south the Gonâve Microplate is separated from the Caribbean Plate by the Enriquilo-Plantain Garden Fault Zone, which runs across Southern Haiti and the Dominican Republic. To the west the fault runs through central Jamaica. The Caribbean Plate is rotating clockwise, effectively moving east relative to the Gonâve Microplate.

 

Plate movements and fault zones around the Gonâve Microplate. Mike Norton/Wikimedia Commons.

 

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Magnitude 7.7 Earthquake between Cuba and Jamaica.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 7.7 Earthquake at a depth of 10 km roughly half way between the islands of Cuba and Jamaica in the Greater Antilles, at about 2.10 pm local time (about 7.10 pm GMT) on Tuesday 28 January 2020. Remarkably there are no reports of any damage or injuries associated with this event, however people have reported felling it across Jamaica, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, Haiti, Peurto Rica, Florida and western Mexico.

The approximate location of the 28 January 2020 Greater Antilles Earthquake. USGS.

Cuba lies on the southern portion of the North American Plate, to the north of the Septentrional Fault Zone, which forms the boundary with the Gonâve Microplate, a small tectonic plate underlying northern Jamaica and most of the island of Hispaniola. The Gonâve Microplate is moving east relative to the North American Plate, pushed by the Mid-Cayman Spreading centre to the west of Jamaica.

To the south the Gonâve Microplate is separated from the Caribbean Plate by the Enriquilo-Plantain Garden Fault Zone, which runs across Southern Haiti and the Dominican Republic. To the west the fault runs through central Jamaica. The Caribbean Plate is rotating clockwise, effectively moving east relative to the Gonâve Microplate.

Plate movements and fault zones around the Gonâve Microplate. Mike Norton/Wikimedia Commons.

None of these movements are smooth, with rock formations at the boundaries of the plates constantly sticking together then breaking apart as the pressure from the plate movement builds up, triggering Earthquakes in the process.

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.

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Magnitude 5.2 Earthquake in Monte Cristi Province. Dominican Republic.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.2 Earthquake at a depth of 14.0 km roughly 3 km to the northwest of the town of Vila Elisa in Monte Cristi Province in the Dominican Republic, at about 1.45 am local time (about 5.45 am GMT) on Sunday 23 September 2018. There are some reports of minor damage associated with this event, and people have reported feeling it across most of the Dominican Republic, as well as parts of Haiti and Puerto RIco.

Damage to a house in Los Limones, Dominican Republic, following an Earthquake on 23 September 2018. Wilson Aracena/Diario Libre.

The Dominican Republic forms the eastern part of the island of La Hispaniola, in the Greater Antilles. The island has a complex geological structure, with parts of it lying on three different tectonic plates, and two plate margins running east-to-west across the island. The northernmost part of the island lies on the North American Plate. This is divided from the Gonâve Microplate by the Septentrional Fault Zone, which runs through Rio San Juan, along the north coast of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, then across the Windward Passage and along the south coast of Cuba. The Gonâve Microplate is moving east relative to the North American Plate, pushed by the Mid-Cayman Spreading centre to the west of Jamaica. To the south the Gonâve Microplate is separated from the Caribbean Plate by the Enriquilo-Plantain Garden Fault Zone, which runs across Southern Haiti and the Dominican Republic. To the west the fault runs through central Jamaica. The Caribbean Plate is rotating clockwise, effectively moving east relative to the Gonâve Microplate.

Plate movements and fault zones around the Gonâve Microplate. Mike Norton/Wikimedia Commons.

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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