Jamaica shaken by 414 earthquakes in 2022, only eight felt

The 2022 edition of the Economic and Social Survey Jamaica (ESSJ) has reported that Jamaica experienced a total of 414 seismic events in the past year.

The information was revealed on Tuesday.

The survey showed that the seismic events recorded in Jamaica last year were 44 fewer than in 2021.

According to the survey, on-land and close offshore seismic activities or local events, saw an increase of 13.0 per cent to reach a total of 173.

Reports are that the month of January proved the most active, recording the highest frequency of seismic activities with 26 incidents.

Local and near events: Where did the earthquakes occur?

Local events comprised approximately 42.0 per cent of the annual total, with a significant portion - almost 30.0 per cent (122) events - classified as ‘near’.

‘Near’ events are those detected within the coordinates of 14° – 22° North and 72° - 82° West.

The ESSJ stated that all but one of the eight felt events occurred on the mainland, with magnitudes between 2.9 and 4.1.