Havana, February 5 (RHC) – A minor earthquake centered off the northern coast of Cuba Tuesday night was felt by area residents – the second time in less than a month.
The 4.3 magnitude quake was registered by the Cuban Seismological Service at 10:19 p.m. off the northern coast of Varadero, in the province of Matanzas, some 160 kilometers east of Havana, at a depth of 15 kilometers.
According to officials, the quake was felt in the cities of Varadero and Matanzas, and there were no immediate reports of human or material damage.
On January 9th, a 5.1-magnitude quake hit in a similar area off the island's coast. That quake was felt in Matanzas, the Cuban capital, Havana, as well as the Florida Keys.
Scientists say the source of the frequent tremors in the region is the slow movement of the Caribbean plate, which moves about one inch each year along a boundary against the North American plate. It’s when the two plates catch along fault lines, build up pressure and then release that quakes happen, in a process sometimes called “stick-slip.”
