Underwater faults make V.I. susceptible to tsunamis Published:
October 6, 2012 Font size: [A] [A] [A] Situated in a seismically
volatile region, the Virgin Islands is vulnerable to tsunamis.
With underwater fault lines running between St. Thomas and St.
Croix and also north of St. Thomas and Puerto Rico, the threat
of a rare but deadly tsunami in the area is real, emergency
managers say. Other geological activity - volcanic activity and
underwater landslides - in the greater Caribbean region also
have the potential to generate tsunamis. Tsunamis - massive
waves created by a sudden large disturbance of ocean water, most
often caused by an earthquake forcing an uplift in the sea floor
- have struck the territory before. In 1867, a series of
tsunamis hit the Virgin Islands when a magnitude 7.5 earthquake
shook the seabed between St. Thomas and St. Croix. Within
minutes, the massive waves rushed ashore on both islands,
killing a number of people. Another deadly tsunami struck Puerto
Rico in 1918 after an earthqua