Seismologists from the College of Charleston SCEEP (South Carolina Earthquake Education and Preparedness Program) say sensitive seismic instruments will pick up the large waves from the earthquake as they both pass through the Earth and travel around its surface.Seismic stations maintained by the University of South Carolina picked up the surface waves generated by the Haitian earthquake as they passed through South Carolina.
Dr. Erin Beutel, director of SCEEP says, “Unlike Charleston, Haiti is on an active plate boundary and is subject to numerous earthquakes every year.”
According to the USGS, the 7.0 magnitude quake occurred on Tuesday, January 12 at 4:53 local time about 10 miles SW of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. The earthquake was a shallow, strike-slip earthquake along a known fault, strike-slip earthquakes occur when the two sides of a fault slide horizontally past each other and there is no to little vertical motion. Thus, while a tsunami watch has been issued for surrounding areas based on the size of the earthquake, the lack of vertical motion will greatly reduce the possibility of a tsunami. Numerous smaller, but still significant aftershock earthquakes continue to rock the region as night falls.
The earthquake was felt over the entire island and on neighboring islands, however, unlike in the eastern United States, which is solid continental crust, the earthquake waves attenuate relatively quickly.
For more information, contact Dr. Beutel at 843.953.5591.
