Are there fault lines in florida

Did you feel it? Most earthquakes in Florida are too small to cause significant damage, Blakeman said. In , a 5. An earthquake in Charleston, S. Subscribe Manage my subscription Activate my subscription Log in Log out. Regions Tampa St. Letters to the Editor Submit a Letter. Investigations Narratives Pulitzer Winners.

Connect with us. Earthquakes are not an uncommon occurrence in Cuba and across the Caribbean. The region is home to the boundary between the North American and Caribbean tectonic plates, with several active fault lines spanning thousands of miles.

In , these same faults were responsible for the devastating magnitude 7. However, the primary plate boundary and related faults run along the southern coast of Cuba and further south, which is why the quake, several hundred miles to the north, was so unusual. Using available seismological data, Braunmiller and his co-authors were able to learn where the earthquake had occurred giving clues as to the why. Published in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America , the research shows the earthquake was caused by a rupture of a part of the Bahamas-Cuba suture zone, an area more than miles north of where earthquakes typically occur in the region.

Earthquakes that cause minor damage to buildings will usually register in the 5. While the occasional earthquake doesn't normally signal a huge threat, according to an article on Slate , small earthquakes can trigger a bigger one - especially if they continue to happen often.

Earthquake shakes town at Florida -Alabama border just days after another earthquake shook another small town on the state line. March 12, The 3. According to the U. Geological Survey, shaking from the earthquake was described as "weak. Rare Florida earthquake has magnitude of only 2. March 8, The 2. Earthquakes in Florida are usually rare. Geological Survey, Florida had no earthquakes above a magnitude of three from to Florida is near the Caribbean Plate, but it does not have fault lines itself.

The USGS is unsure if the likelihood of earthquakes in Florida will continue to grow and currently, there are no warnings issued for the area.