ON Tuesday morning, two days into earthquake awareness week, residents of Red Hills, St Andrew reported feeling a minor tremor to the Earthquake Unit of the University of the West Indies.

The quake was felt at approximately 5:27 am and the epicentre was determined to be offshore the Hellshire Hills in St Catherine. It was measured at a magnitude of 3.2, and had a level-III intensity.

"The magnitude is an instrumental measurement," said Raymond Stewart, seismic analyst at the Earthquake Unit.
It is calculated using specialised computer software and instruments in the field that measure the size of the tremor.

The intensity, however, is estimated based on the observations of people and is a more subjective measure than the machine-determined magnitude readings. The measures range from I to XII.

According to Stewart, an intensity-three earthquake is felt indoors by a few people and causes "no real damage".
People at rest may experience a swaying movement and hanging objects may shift.

A family in Red Hills living in a two-storey structure reported that the tremors shifted a bed in their home. Two out of five people in the home felt the earthquake.

A woman from the area also reported that she was wakened by slight tremors.

The intensity scale are designated in Roman numerals, ranging from I to XII (1 to 12), but there is no upper limit for the magnitude scale, but the higher the reading, the more devastating the damage.

The scales start at 2.0 - 2.9 for 'very minor'; while 8.0 and higher are considered 'great'.The underwater earthquake that caused the December 26 tsunami that hit 12 countries in Asia and Africa had a magnitude of 9.

The minor earthquake yesterday comes in the wake of statements made Monday by Dr Barbara Carby, director-general of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, that Jamaica does not have plans in place nor the resources to deal with a major earthquake and its aftershocks.

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