Event

The Faculty of Engineering will host a seminar entitled “Hydrological Effects of the 1997/04/22 Tobago Earthquake and Tsunami Potential of a major south of Tobago Earthquake”. The seminar will take place on Tuesday 17^th March 2009, in the Faculty Board Room, Block 1, Faculty of Engineering at 3:00 p.m. Joan Latchman, PhD. Student in Seismology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering will present the seminar.

For further information, please contact the Department of Engineering at (868) 662-2002 Ext. 2065.  

ABSTRACT:

Significant earthquakes near Tobago have been recognised as having important hazard implications only since 1982.  In April 1997, two of the largest earthquakes, since continuous, instrumental recording began in 1952, occurred: one off the west coast and the other off the south coast.  There was a dramatic coseismic increase in groundwater discharge.  This increased groundwater discharge was restricted to south-west Tobago between Shirvan Road in the west and Hillsborough West River in the east.  A plot of the locations exhibiting such increased release reveals that they are within the boundary zones of the large-scale lithologic units.  The fault plane solution of the triggering event suggests that there was a normal faulting component.  Studies suggest that normal faulting produces the biggest impact on groundwater release.  Such fault movements, when they are submarine, may also generate tsunami.  The bathymetry of the area south of Tobago appears unfavourable for the generation of significant tsunami.  A subsequent increase in the mortality rate of some trees in the area may also have been an effect of the earthquake.