6.1-magnitude earthquake near Mantua, Cuba causes shaking to be felt across Florida
The effects of a 6.1-magnitude earthquake near Mantua, Cuba, were felt across Florida, as residents of the Gulf Coast reported feeling shaking.
Viewers from Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties called about feeling shaking Monday afternoon.
Shaking was reported Monday afternoon on the Gulf Coast. Data from Gulf Coast News Viewers and USGS
The U.S. Geological Survey reported the earthquake occurred at approximately 2 p.m. at a depth of 16.15 miles (26 km). Preliminary data shows that this may be the strongest earthquake in the Gulf since at least 1900. The next strongest shake was recorded in 2006 at 5.9-magnitude.
According to NOAA and the National Weather Service, there is no tsunami threat as a result of the earthquake.
Florida has very little history of significant tsunamis because we are far from the major subduction zones that typically generate them. While this earthquake was strong enough for some people in Southwest Florida to feel, it was not the right type of earthquake to produce a tsunami. Most damaging tsunamis are caused by large, shallow earthquakes that create significant vertical movement of the seafloor. This earthquake did not generate enough seafloor displacement to trigger a tsunami.
So why did we feel it? The geology between Cuba, the Bahamas, and Florida allows seismic waves to travel efficiently over long distances with relatively little energy loss. That means shaking from an earthquake hundreds of miles away can sometimes be felt across South Florida and Southwest Florida, even when there’s no tsunami threat.
Bottom line: Feeling an earthquake does not automatically mean a tsunami is possible. The type of fault movement, depth, and seafloor displacement are what matter most.
This is a developing story.
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