Caribbean Training Course in Seismology and Tsunami Warnings

St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago

June 25-30, 2007

Seismicity and Plate Tectonics

Christa G. von Hillebrandt-Andrade
Puerto Rico Seismic Network, UPRM
Our Dynamic Earth
Global Distribution of Tsunamis

From NGDC
Global Distribution of Earthquakes
Global Seismicity and Tectonic Plates
 Continental Drift

Continental drift was first proposed in

1912 by Alfred Wegener, a German
Astronomer and Professor.
 Fossil Evidence

Mesosaurus is a freshwater reptile which could not

possibly swim across the ocean from South America to
Africa.
Fossil Evidence
Evidence from Rocks
Evidence from Paleoclimates/Glaciation

The orientation of rocks on several continents become consistent

with those of a common ice-cap when they are re-assembled.
 Plate Tectonics
Evidence: Age of the Ocean Floor

Keller, 2002
Evidence: Magnetic Striping

From Kious and Tilling, USGS

Evidence for Plate Tectonics:
Seismicity
Distribution of Seismicity Worldwide

Líneas de Costa, Límites Políticos

Circum-Caribbean Seismicity
(1973-2006)

NEIC (2006)
Age of Hawaiian volcanoes:
Evidence for Plate Tectonics
Evidence for Tectonic Plate Theory: Earth Structure
USGS - http://earthquake.usgs.gov/
Plate Tectonic Forces
 Break up of Pangaea

Source: Dietmar Muller, Sydney University

Lithospheric Plates
Global Plate Tectonic Activity
GPS Vectors in the Northeastern
Caribbean
"Plate tectonic maps and Continental drift animations by C. R.
Scotese, PALEOMAP Project (www.scotese.com)"
"Plate tectonic maps and Continental drift animations by C.
R. Scotese, PALEOMAP Project (www.scotese.com)"
Plate Tectonic Boundaries
Forces and Deformation

Forces

Ductile
Deformation

Brittle
Deformation
Divergent Boundary

Copywrite Tasa Graphic Arts

 Divergent Plate Boundaries

Fuerzas
Tensionales
Fallamiento Normal

Océano

Falla de
Transformación

Normal and Strike Slip Faults

The Evolution of a Rift

East African Rift

Red Sea

Atlantic Ocean

Copywrite Tasa Graphic Arts

Continental Rift
 Convergent Boundaries
Oceanic Lithosphere Subducting under
Oceanic Lithosphere
Convergent Plate Boundary
Ocean-Continent
 Subduction as
Generation Zones for
Tsunamis
Himalayan Orogeny
Convergent Boundaries
Continent-Continent

Copywrite Tasa Graphic Arts

Transform Boundaries
Transform Boundaries
 Strike-Slip Offsets

San Andreas Fault

Map of Tectonic Plates
Caribbean Tectonic Setting

From ten Brink, USGS