Every time the Dominican Republic feels the effects of a seismic event, an earthquake, everyone asks, “Did you feel it?” This time, late last week, when many people in the are of San Pedro de Macoris, Higuey, La Romana and the National District were moved by the tremor, there was no doubt. The social media sites lit up, chock full of the question and comments regarding the different effects of the shake. The event was the Trending Topic on social media. No damages were reported.
The Dominican Republic UASD Seismological Institute reported the quake had an intensity of 4.6 on the Richter Scale, the USGS reported 4.5. Because the Dominican Republic sits on the northern edge of the Caribbean Tectonic Plate and is surrounded by the North American Plate, the South American Plate and the Cocos Plate, the island of Hispaniola is subject to hundreds of seismic movements each year.
It has been many years since a major, 6 or 7 on the Richter scale, earthquake has occurred, and centuries since a catastrophic 8-degree quake has happened.
This latest tremor was located at36 kilometers to the south of San Pedro de Macoris and at a depth of 22 kilometers. Geologists know the area as the “Trinchera de los Muertos” (The trough of the dead).
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Diario Libre.
El Dia
Diario Libre
6 May 2019