Magnitude 6.0 Earthquake off the north coast of the Paria Peninsula, Venezuela.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 6.0 Earthquake at a depth of 87.4 km, slightly  off the  north coast of the Paria Peninsula on the north coast of Venezuela, slightly before midnight on Sunday 23  June 2024 local time (slightly before 4.00 am on Monday 24 June GMT). This was a large quake, but at some depth as well as offshore, and there are no reports of any casualties or damage, though the quake was felt over a large area, with people reporting feeling it across much of northern Venezuela, and northeastern Guyana as well as on the Caribbean islands of  Trinidad, Granada, St Vincent.

The approximate location of the 24 June 2024 Paria Peninsula Earthquake. USGS.

The Paria Peninsula forms part of the southern margin of the Caribbean Plate, which is moving eastward compared to the South American Plate, upon which the rest of Venezuela sits. This is not a smooth process, the two plates constantly stick together, then break apart as the pressure builds up, causing Earthquakes in the process. 

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Magnitude 6.5 Earthquake off the northern coast of Panama and Colombia.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 6.5 Earthquake at a depth of 13.0 km, off the Caribbean coasts of Panama and Colombia, about 50 km to the northeast of the border between the two countries, slightly after 10.05 pm local time on Wednesday 24 May 2023 (slightly after 3.05 am on Thursday 25 May, GMT). There are no reports of any damage or casualties associated with this event, though it was felt across much of northern Colombia, Panama and parts of Costa Rica.

The approximate location of the 24 May 2023 Pananma/Colombia Earthquake. USGS.

The event happened close to the triple junction between the Panama, Caribbean, and South American plates. All three plates are drifting to the northwest, being pushed by the expansion of the Atlantic Ocean, and to a lesser extent the eastward movement of the Nazca Plate, which is being subducted beneath the South American Plate along the west coast of South America. However, the South American Plate is moving somewhat faster than the other two plates, causing the Panama Plate to be pushed to the west, creating a transform plate margin, as the Panama Plate moves west relative to the Caribbean Plate, along the northern coast of Panama, and a subductive plate margin, as the Caribbean Plate is forced under the advancing South American Plate, along the northern coast of Colombia. 

The tectonic plates underlying Central America and the surrounding areas. Wikimedia Commons.

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Magnitude 3.9 Earthquake in Riverside County, California.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 3.9 Earthquake at a depth of about 14.0 km roughly 23 km to the southeast of Azna in Riverside County, California, slightly before 7.200 pm local time on Wednesday 12 January 2022 (slightly before 3.20 am on Thursday 13 January GMT). There are no reports of any damage or injuries relating to this quake, but people have reported feeling it across much of southern California.

 

The approximate location of the 12 January 2022 Riverside County Earthquake. USGS.

California is extremely prone to Earthquakes due to the presence of the San Andreas Fault, a tectonic plate margin that effectively bisects the state. The west of California, including Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, is located on the Pacific Plate, and is moving to the northwest. The east of California, including Fresno and Bakersfield is on the North American Plate, and is moving to the southeast. The plates do not move smoothly past one-another, but constantly stick together then break apart as the pressure builds up. This has led to a network of smaller faults that criss-cross the state, so that Earthquakes can effectively occur anywhere.

 

Tectonic boundaries and faults in California and the surrounding area. USGS.

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events and the underlying structures that cause them. If you felt this quake (or if you were in the area but did not, which is also useful information) then you can report it to the United States Geological Survey here.

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Magnitude 3.9 Earthquake beneath the northern Gulf of Aqaba.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 3.9 Earthquake at a depth of 10.0 km, beneath the Gulf of Aqaba, roughly 3 km off the coast of the city of Aqaba in southern Jordan, at about 5.30 am local time (about 2.30 am GMT) on Tuesday 15 December 2020. There are no reports of any serious damage or injuries from this quake, but people have reported feeling it in Jordan and Israel.

 

The approximate location of the 15 December 2020 Gulf of Aqaba Earthquake. USGS.

The Gulf of Aqaba lies on the boundary between the African and Arabian Plates, and is bisected by the Dead Sea Transform Margin (sometimes the Levant Transform Margin or Levant Transform Fault), with the east of the country located on the Arabian Plate, and the west on the African Plate. Both of these plates are moving northward, but the Arabian Plate is moving at a greater rate, driven by seafloor spreading beneath the Red Sea, creating a leading to transform movement on the plate margin that runs through the Gulf of Aqaba, the Dead Sea, and Lebanon, with the Arabian Plate moving northward relative to the African Plate. 

 

The relative movements of the African and Arabian Plates. School of Earth and Environment/University of Leeds.

Sea floor spreading is occurring at a faster rate beneath the southern Red Sea than the north, with the effect that the Arabian Plate is also rotating relative to the African Plate. This results in a slightly complex situation in Lebanon, with a network of faults underlying the region, all with the potential for movement, which can result in quakes anywhere in the country.

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Magnitude 3.7 Earthquake in Riverside County, California.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 3.7 Earthquake at a depth of about 3.1 km roughly 6 km to the southwest of Aguanga in Riverside County, California, slightly after 9.40 pm local time on Friday 4 December 2020 (slightly after 5.40 am on Saturday 5 December GMT). There are no reports of any damage or injuries relating to this quake, but people have reported feeling it across much of southern California.

 

The approximate location of the 4 December 2020 Riverside County Earthquake. USGS.

California is extremely prone to Earthquakes due to the presence of the San Andreas Fault, a tectonic plate margin that effectively bisects the state. The west of California, including Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, is located on the Pacific Plate, and is moving to the northwest. The east of California, including Fresno and Bakersfield is on the North American Plate, and is moving to the southeast. The plates do not move smoothly past one-another, but constantly stick together then break apart as the pressure builds up. This has led to a network of smaller faults that criss-cross the state, so that Earthquakes can effectively occur anywhere.

Tectonic boundaries and faults in California and the surrounding area. USGS.

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events and the underlying structures that cause them. If you felt this quake (or if you were in the area but did not, which is also useful information) then you can report it to the United States Geological Survey here.

 

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Magnitude 4.2 Earthquake to the north of Trinidad.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.2 Earthquake at a depth of 51.5 km roughly 30 km to the north of Trinidad, slightly after 3.10 pm local time (slightly after 7.10 pm GMT) on Sunday 4 October 2020. This was a moderate quake, but 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 over a large area, with people reporting feeling it across much of Trinidad, Tobago, and Grenada.

 

The approximate location of the 4 October 2020 Trinidad Earthquake. USGS.

The southern margin of the Caribbean Plate lies just off the northern coast of Venezuela, cutting through the middle of the island of Trinidad, this is moving eastward compared to the South American Plate, upon which most of Venezuela sits. This is not a smooth process, the two plates constantly stick together, then break apart as the pressure builds up, causing Earthquakes in the process. 

Geologic map of Trinidad. Abbreviations: Q, Quaternary; Cz,  Cainozoic; Mz, Mesozoic; Note: Qf (Quaternary fan deposits) are buried in the west by Qal (Quaternary alluvium) of the Caroni swamp, and in the east are exposed and highly dissected by modern streams. Weber 2009.
 

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 6.0 Earthquake to the north of Vanua Levu Island, Fiji.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 6.0 Earthquake at a depth of about 10 km, roughly 160 km to the north of Vanua Levu Island, Fiji, slightly after 4.10 pm local time (slighly after 4.10 am GMT) on Tuesday 15 September 2020. There are no reports of any damage or injuries relating to this quake, but it was felt on Vanua Levu.

  

The approximate location of the 15 September 2020 Fiji Earthquake. USGS.

The tectonic setting of Fiji is somewhat complicated. The islands form part of the border zone between the Pacific and Australian Plates, with the boundary passing to the north as a transform plate margin, along which the Pacific Plate is moving westwards, relative to Fiji. However, Fiji itself lies on an area of newly forming plate, with an are of expansion to its west, the Fiji Basin, which is pushing Fiji to the east relative to the Pacific Plate. Further to the west the Indo-Australian Plate is being subducted beneath this new microplate along the New Hebrides Trench. To the east of Fiji, a second area of seafloor spreading occurs along the Lau-Colville Ridge, and to the east of that the Pacific Plate is also being subducted, along the Tonga Trench. This means that the islands of Fiji are being subjected to tectonic stresses from several different directions. These stresses do not manifest themselves as smooth movements, but rather sharp jolts which we experience as Earthquakes, as the rocks of the various plates tend to adhere together, only breaking apart once the built-up pressures become to great, and settling into new positions.

 

Map and cross section showing the positions and movements of the tectonic plates around Fiji. Mörner & Matlack-Klein (2017).

 

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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