Abstract
Designing a seismic source model based on the most complete description of potentially active faults and on the kinematics of their latest movements is an essential requirement in seismic hazard studies, at regional and local scales. A study to characterize active faults in the Hispaniola island (today’s Haiti and Dominican Republic) has been conducted in the framework of the probabilistic seismic hazard assessment for Santo Domingo (capital of the Dominican Republic). In this work, we present a seismotectonic map of Hispaniola and its surroundings, based on a compilation and synthesis of geological, geophysical, geodetic and seismological data. Based on these data, distinct seismic zone sources are proposed and classified as either intercrustal domains, major active faults or subduction zones. Each seismic source is described according to several parameters, including its mechanism and current rate of deformation, the associated seismicity and its estimated maximal magnitude. These results constitute an essential database for a homogeneous evaluation of the seismic hazards of Hispaniola.
Highlights
The island of Hispaniola, which includes Haiti and the Dominican Republic, is located on the northeastern limit of the North American and Caribbean plates (Fig. 1)
Apart from the maximal seismicity evaluated for the potentially active faults described above (VF, YF, Española Fault Zone (EFZ), San Pedro Fault (SPF); (Fig. 4, Table 1), the A3 seismic zone is associated with a seismic background estimated at a maximum magnitude Mw 5.5
A seismotectonic map and the characterization of active or potentially active faults were established based on a large number of data of varied nature and quality
Summary
The island of Hispaniola, which includes Haiti and the Dominican Republic, is located on the northeastern limit of the North American and Caribbean plates (Fig. 1). It is a strongly active seismic region of the Greater Antilles arc on the Caribbean plate. The present work has been conducted in the framework of a project to assess the seismic hazard and vulnerability of the Gran Santo Domingo area in the Dominican Republic (Bertil et al 2015). The current methodology for assessing probabilistic seismic hazard at any scale begins with the identification of seismic sources within or near the area under study, their geometry, and statistical models describing their activity. We propose a source characterization and seismotectonic zoning for Hispaniola, based on the most up-to-date knowledge
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