Dear Editor,

The Caribbean has been shaking — literally!

In 2021 Trinidad and Tobago recorded over 450 earthquakes, according to Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) reports.

Jamaica wasn’t left out either, rattled by over 700 seismic disturbances in the year leading up to November 2023 (Jamaica Observer, 2023). These quakes have sparked lively debate about what’s behind them, and one suspect is standing out — oil drilling.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) has uncovered an unsettling link between oil extraction and increased seismic activity (The Guardian, 2015). When wastewater from oil and gas operations is injected deep underground it creates pressure that can awaken dormant fault lines, resulting in seismic tremors (Hand, 2015, https://www.science.org/content/article/oil-and-gas-operations-could-trigger-large-earthquakes).

Despite these concerns, Jamaica’s Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications, and Transport (MSETT) recently approved a two-year extension for United Oil and Gas (UOG) to continue exploration in the Walton Morant Basin (Jamaica Observer, 2024). This move has sparked a debate about balancing energy exploration with environmental safety as seismic risks continue to rise.

Given the strong evidence connecting oil drilling to earthquakes, it’s high time for a scientific rethink. Continuing exploration could intensify the region’s seismic vulnerabilities and put communities at risk (The Guardian, 2015).

With the Caribbean’s stability at stake, policymakers must take decisive action, adopting proactive risk assessments and tighter regulations to protect both the environment and human welfare. After all, the region’s future resilience depends on it.

L H Deer

Physics and pure mathematics teacher

horatiodeer2357@gmail.com