| Microseismic records of 4422 earthquakes, recorded between January 1987 and June 2002, with a quality of A, B and C (local scale) from the Puerto Rico Seismic Network (PRSN) data base were used to determine the seismic potential of the Local Region of Puerto Rico (LRPR) using two methods. The first is based on the composite focal mechanism analysis, while the second is based on geometrical analysis of hypocenters stratified by magnitude. The microseismic activity is broadly distributed over the LRPR, with a slightly higher activity concentrated around known fracture zones and prominent topographic features. As a result, 11 subregions were defined, each one characterized by a specific stress pattern.; Three hundred forty potential faults were identified and characterized, 238 of those faults are lineal faults and 102 are segmented or no lineal. The non-lineal faults consist of 268 single segments where each one can behave as a single potential fault, in that case the number of potential faults increases to 506. The results exclude inland faults and those faults deeper than 50 km. The induced sea bottom static deformation and the corresponding tsunami initial condition were determined for each one of the potential faults. The maximum averaged deformation values, one per subregion and one per magnitude, were selected to simulate their respective tsunami using the tsunami propagation and runup model from the TIME project (Tsunami Inundation Modeling for Exchange).; The regional analysis of the composite focal mechanisms presented herein is consistent with previous works based upon dynamics of global/regional plate tectonics with the exception of the Muertos Trough (MT), which shows a mostly NS deformation. With regards to the susceptibility of Puerto Rico to local tsunamis, the results show that there are tsunamigenic potential fault systems surrounding all of PR; the western and northern PR being the most vulnerable zones followed by the eastern and southern zones.*; *This dissertation is compound (contains both a paper copy and CD as part of the dissertation). |
