Magnitude 5.8 Quake Strikes Puerto Rico

Espino, Puerto Rico

A moderate earthquake has struck the western side of the Caribbean Island of Puerto Rico early this morning, may 16,2010.
The temblor hit at approximately 1:16 a.m. There are no reports of injuries or damage at this time.

Puerto Rico Earthquake: Magnitude 5.8 Quake Strikes Puerto Rico

The earthquake struck 63 miles from the capital city of San Juan and 4 miles from the tiny community of Espino and had a preliminary magnitude of 5.7, according to the U.S. Geological Survey report. The depth was 68 miles.

The city lost power briefly.

Local Tsunamis triggered by underwater landslides are possible in coastal areas close to the epicenter but no warnings or watches have been issued.

The following statistics are from the USGS.

Magnitude 5.8
Date-Time

* Sunday, May 16, 2010 at 05:16:09 UTC
* Sunday, May 16, 2010 at 01:16:09 AM at epicenter
* Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location 18.229°N, 67.071°W
Depth 109 km (67.7 miles)
Region PUERTO RICO
Distances

* 7 km (4 miles) SE (136°) from Espino, PR
* 8 km (5 miles) ENE (68°) from Mayag�ez, PR
* 10 km (6 miles) SE (130°) from A�asco, PR
* 54 km (33 miles) WNW (297°) from Ponce, PR
* 103 km (64 miles) WSW (254°) from SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico

Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 3.8 km (2.4 miles); depth +/- 4.5 km (2.8 miles)
Parameters NST=268, Nph=268, Dmin=21 km, Rmss=0.82 sec, Gp= 22°,
M-type=teleseismic moment magnitude (Mw), Version=9
Source

* USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)

Event ID us2010wian

* This event has been reviewed by a seismologist

Thankfully this is just another moderate quake and damage and injuries, if any, will be slight.
I can’t help but think about the next ‘big one’, when, where, how catastrophic.
One can’t help but wonder what in the world is causing these constant earthquakes.
Is it man-made disaster, natural, or Biblical?

If you have any thoughts on ‘Puerto Rico Earthquake: Magnitude 5.8 Quake Strikes Puerto Rico’, or just earthquakes in general, please leave them in the comment section.