John McCarthy
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A 4.9 magnitude earthquake rattled the territory at 4:00 p.m. today, but it was too weak to create any damage nor initiate any kind of tsunami.
According to USGS, the earthquake struck on the Caribbean Sea floor at 19.245°N 64.954°W at a depth of approximately 6.2 miles. The epicenter was 61,51 miles north of St. Thomas.
Today’s earthquake follows several that struck the region last month, with most anchored around the south shore of Puerto Rico.
These earthquakes are occurring near the northern edge of the Caribbean Plate, a mostly oceanic tectonic plate underlying Central America and the Caribbean Sea off of the north coast of South America. The Caribbean Plate borders the North American Plate, the South American Plate, the Nazca Plate, and the Cocos Plate. The borders of these plates are home to ongoing seismic activity, including frequent earthquakes, occasional tsunamis, and sometimes even volcanic eruptions.
