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The Puerto Rico earthquake of 1918 was a major earthquake that struck the island of Puerto Rico at 10:14am on October 11, 1918. The magnitude for the earthquake has been reported at around 7.5 (or Level IX in the Rossi-Forel scale used at that time); however, that might not be an exact number. The mainshock epicenter occurred offshore about 10 miles (5 km) from the northwestern coast of the island, somewhere along the Puerto Rico Trench. Mayagüez (pronounced Mah-yah-goo-ehz) is the third largest city of Puerto Rico. ...
An earthquake is a phenomenon that results from and is powered by the sudden release of stored energy in the crust that propagates seismic waves. ...
October 11 is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...
1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ...
The Rossi-Forel scale was one of the first seismic scales to reflect earthquake intensities. ...
The epicenter is directly above the earthquakes focus. ...
Location map Puerto Rico trench - USGS The Puerto Rico Trench is an oceanic trench located on the boundary between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. ...
The earthquake triggered a tsunami with waves measured at approximately 5.5 meters (20 feet) that lashed the east coast of the island and is remembered as one of the worst natural disasters that have struck the island. The losses resulting from the disaster were approximately 116 casualties and $4 million in property. The tsunami that struck Malé in the Maldives on December 26, 2004. ...
Geology of the Earthquake
The epicenter of the 1918 Puerto Rico Earthquake was located in the Mona Passage about 10 miles (5 km) from the northwestern coast of the island, probably along an old fault close to the Puerto Rico Trench. The strongest shakings have been estimated at around 7.3 or 7.5 (Richter scale) or Level IX (Rossi-Forel scale). The Mona Passage is a strait that separates the islands of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. ...
Location map Puerto Rico trench - USGS The Puerto Rico Trench is an oceanic trench located on the boundary between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. ...
The Richter magnitude test scale (or more correctly local magnitude ML scale) assigns a single number to quantify the size of an earthquake. ...
The Rossi-Forel scale was one of the first seismic scales to reflect earthquake intensities. ...
Inmediate Effects As a result of the earthquake, numerous structures in the west coast suffered irreparable damages. Factories and production centrals were virtually destroyed, while bridges and roads were severely damaged.
The earthquake caused several mudslides in areas where the magnitude exceeded Level VII, but none of it was deemed as tragic. Also, the river currents were affected, which, in many cases affected the foundations of many bridges which ended up collapsing.
The reported casualties of the earthquake have been estimated somewhere between 91 to 116 deaths. Approximately 40 of this deaths were caused by a tsunami. Also, damages to property were estimated at around $4 million, which was a huge amount at that time. Casualties of war. ...
Tsunami As a result of the earthquake, a tsunami lashed the west coast of the island, probably 4-7 minutes after the main shock. The highest waves were measured at 5.5 to 6 meters (20 feet) and ended up destroying several coastside villages. It has been estimated that 40 people were drowned as a direct result of the tsunami. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...
The tsunami that struck Malé in the Maldives on December 26, 2004. ...
Aftershocks Several aftershocks were reported inmediately after the main earthquake. On October 24 and November 12, two strong aftershocks were reported in the island. However, no damages were reported as a result. Aftershocks are earthquakes in the same region of the mainshock (generally within a few rupture length) but of smaller magnitude and which occur with in a pattern that follows Omoris law. ...
October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 68 days remaining. ...
November 12 is the 316th day of the year (317th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 49 days remaining. ...
See Also Location map Puerto Rico trench - USGS The Puerto Rico Trench is an oceanic trench located on the boundary between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. ...
External Links - Puerto Rico Seismic Network
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