Earthquake Felt In South Florida - Jan. 9, 2014

[ricki]

"Even seasoned scientists were surprised by a rare 5.1-magnitude earthquake that struck Thursday afternoon off the northern coast of Cuba, rattling residents on both sides of the Florida Straits.

“There is no question that it is unusual where it hit,” said Timothy Dixon, a University of South Florida geophysics professor and earthquake expert. “I have no clue why this earthquake happened.” Dixon said the earthquake — centered about 112 miles east of Havana in coastal waters — happened about 300 miles from a major fault line between southern Cuba and Hispaniola. “Scientists are definitely going to be looking at this one,” he said. “Earthquakes happen periodically in Cuba, but in the south.”

The earthquake, which occurred at 3:58 p.m., was not strong enough to cause serious damage, but people reported feeling its effects across the Florida Keys and as far north as Cape Coral on Florida’s Gulf Coast. “Unbelievable,” said Shelia Cullen, assistant retail manager at the Custom House Museum in Key West. “It scared the crap out of everyone on the third floor. We have stuff everywhere up here, and a huge decorative vase was rocking back and forth.” Thursday’s earthquake was the sixth known earthquake between 3.0 and 5.6 magnitude recorded within 125 miles of the area in the past 75 years, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.'
More at: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/01/0...t-of-cuba.html



Coralillo, Cuba
http://www.cubanet.org/articulos/la-...la-mortadella/





From USGS:

"Tectonic Summary

The January 9, 2014 M5.1 earthquake in the Gulf of Mexico occurred along the northern coast of west-central Cuba at shallow crustal depths, ~28km from Corralillo, Cuba and ~172 km east of Havana, Cuba.

The island of Cuba lies within the North American plate and is bounded by the Bahamas Platform and Florida Straits to the north and the North America-Caribbean plate boundary to the south. The plate boundary, a left-lateral transform, defines the southeast coast of the island and causes uplift of the Sierra Maestra. In the vicinity of the January 9 earthquake, a former plate boundary suture and several faults, collectively termed the Nortecubana Fault system, bound the northern coast of Cuba. Additionally, several smaller crustal faults, including the left-lateral Hicacos Fault and Las Villas fault are located in the general vicinity of the January 9 earthquake. The region of the January 9 earthquake is relatively quiet seismically. Only 6 documented events ranging from M3.0-5.6 occurred over the past 75 years within 200 km of the epicenter. The M5.6 event, which occurred in 1939, also took place along the northern coast of Cuba in the vicinity of the Nortecubana Fault system. The January 9 event occurred 686 km ESE of the September 2006 M5.8 Gulf of Mexico earthquake."
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquak...00lzju#summary

Reported observations:

"Marathon - very light rumbling for approx. 10-15 seconds
Lake Mary - felt building shake, 4th floor
La Habana - Se movió como por 6-10 segundos el monitor y la mesa de trabajo muy levemente hacia delante y hacia detrás
Lake Mary, FL - 2 separate instances, seconds apart, with the second shaking less duration than the first which was about 4 or 5 seconds for the first instance.
Key West - Not really shaking. Felt a short rolling similar to what I had felt in California. Otherwise one would think it was a jolt to the building, bad construction.
Key West, FL - I was sitting at my desk at work on the second floor and the building did a slight wave movement to the right. It was kind of freaky.
Fort Myers, FL - Blinds, calendars and computer monitors moved. People felt the office building swing or move.
Fort Myers, FL - Felt building shake, fourth floor
Dania Beach - No damage. Just a slight shaking of the building for about 15 seconds. Only felt on the upper floors.
Sarasota, FL - About 15 people in my 3rd floor business office, who were sitting in chairs working, suddently stood up reporting their chairs were shaking side to side, or they felt like they were having an equilibrium problem. No damage.
St. Petersburg - the entire office barely felt just slight movement/swaying. We are a 4th floor office.
Naples - 6th floor of building - mild swaying
Marathon - Mild tremor felt as I was sitting on balcony. Lasted 10-15 seconds.
Key West - I was sitting at my desk and it seems as though the lights had dimmed and I felt a slight wave.
Key West - No damage - very definite light shaking on couch on 3rd floor condo.
Fort Myers - Inside a 4 story office building. Felt weak shaking.
Oviedo - 1 story building. Floor and desks shaking. could fee with feet on the floor and elbows on the desks.
Key West Fl - Mild shaking approximately 10 seconds. No damage (4th floor), knew it was a quake immediately because I was near the DC area quake.
Naples - I was sitting at my desk at work on the second floor and the building did a slight wave movement to the right.
St. Petersburg - Felt building shaking on 8th and 9th floors of office tower. Window blinds shook against office windows.
Key West - There is no damage - we are at work and we felt a minor shaking.
Saint Petersburg, FL - Rocked my chair back and forth for a few seconds
n fort Myers - I was in publix and it felt as if a freight train went by the building. Light shaking and a rumble like thunder probably from the building shaking.
Jacksonville - Felt bedroom shake & it was enough to concern me.
Palm Beach - Rumbling sound.
Dania Beach, FL - Nothing was damaged. I am on the 5th floor of a building on the beach and it caused the building to sway
South Miami - Very Weak Shake on 4th floor of a building
miami - felt a rolling in downtown Miami
Little torch key - Lived in San Fran for many years and knew immediately what it was. Clothes, belts and purses hanging in closet were swaying.
Weston, FL - Weak saying for about 8 seconds. Fourth floor @ Cleveland Clinic
Key west florida - It was scary never felt a earthquake before
Orlando - Felt light shaking on the 7th and 8th floor of the hospital. No damage.
Boca Raton, FL - Subtle shaking in building that 2 floors felt
Islamorada, Fl - Felt the couch and chair move. Ceiling fan and hanging lights were shaking for about 45 sec."
More at: http://earthquake-report.com/2014/01...anuary-9-2014/


and ...




Whilst distilling ruhm in Cayo Hueso, Paul Menta of Chef Distilled was visited by peculiar tremor ... "It's official while we were making rum yesterday the stills we acting weird and the rum was flowing out even faster...then the earth quake hit and it all makes sence...so we will sign these 200 bottles and call the batch " quake 5.1" the first ever rum in history of the Florida keys shaken like martini rum naturally while being made!" https://www.facebook.com/ChefDistilled

.