MERIDA, Mexico – A 3.8 magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale, felt in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba,
According to the National Seismological Service (Cenais) of CubaThe earthquake, which occurred at 19:09 local time (01:08 GMT), did not cause any material damage or injuries.
The quake was located exactly 41 kilometers southeast of the Santiago de Cuba province (east) at a depth of 33.8 km, the information said.
This is the eleventh perceptible earthquake this year.
More than 7,400 earthquakes in Cuba in 2023
During the year 2023, Cuba experienced a total of 7,475 earthquakesof which only 14 were perceptible, according to a CENAIS report.
According to the Technical Vice-Directorate of CENAIS, most of the earthquakes in the national territory were related to the fault Eastthe main zone of seismic activity located in the south of the eastern region of Cuba. This area constitutes a tectonic plate boundary and is a constant source of earthquakes.
In addition, significant seismic activity was recorded outside the plate boundary zone, particularly in northern The Tunas and in the southern area of Moa (Holguín). Three earthquake swarms were observed in these areas, with around 500 events each, although with magnitudes below 4 on the Richter scale.
The 14 perceptible earthquakes are geographically distributed as follows: five related to the plate boundary zone south of eastern Cuba, five within the national territory and another four with epicenters outside the country (two in Haitione in Jamaica and one north of Honduras). In all these cases, the maximum intensity felt in Cuba was III on the EMS/98 scale.
CENAIS also provided specific data on seismic activity: of the 7,475 earthquakes recorded, 5,446 occurred in Cuba’s local coverage area, while 2,029 occurred outside the national territory.
The day with the most seismic activity in 2023 was April 3, with a total of 275 earthquakes. The Moa-Purial area stood out with the highest number of earthquakes, reaching 1,530 events, and northern Las Tunas recorded 1,025 earthquakes. The most energetic areas were Paso de los Vientos-Gran Inagua, with a total energy released of 5.1.
According to its own report, CENAIS maintained a technological readiness of between 80 and 90% during the year, and its Central Station in Santiago de Cuba provided daily information on seismic behavior.
The Cuban archipelago is located in a geologically active region, with its main seismic zones located in the eastern part of the country. These areas are linked to a fault at the boundary of the North American plate, to which it belongs. Cubaand the continuation of the northern fault of the neighboring island of Hispaniola, located southeast of the Caribbean country.
In 2022, 13 perceptible earthquakes were recorded on the island, mostly in the eastern provinces. Cuba has experienced several large-magnitude earthquakes in recent decades, including a magnitude 6.9 earthquake on May 25, 1992 and a magnitude 7.1 earthquake on January 28, 2020, which was felt throughout the national territory despite having its epicenter in the vicinity of the Cayman Islands.
