The earthquake of January 13, 1993, and implications for earthquake hazard in Eastern Jamaica

ABSTRACT

On January 13, 1993, an earthquake of duration magnitude 5.4 and maximum Modified Mercalli Intensity VII occurred in Eastern Jamaica. The hypocentre was 15 km underneath the rural community of Woodford, in the southern Wagwater Belt. The latter is a fault-bounded, narrow, uplifted, northwest trending trough, separating the Liguanea Plains to the south, from the Blue Mountains to the northeast. The seismic activity of the Wagwater Belt was known fron the numerous small earthquakes recorded by the Jamaica Network of Seismograph Stations over the past thirty years. However, the January 13 earthquake was the first earthquake of this size confirmed as having originsted in the Belt. Hence, it was also seen as the first indication that the Wagwater Belt may be a source zone for larger Jamaican earthquakes.(AU)