A large earthquake struck Haiti in January 2010.
Image courtesy of the USGS.
Haiti Earthquake January 2010
News story originally written on January 13, 2010
A major earthquake causing widespread devestation and extensive loss of life struck the nation of Haiti on January 12, 2010. The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.0. Haiti is on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea.
The island of Hispaniola lies along the boundary between the North American and Caribbean tectonic plates. There are several geologic faults running through the region. The earthquake occured in an area called the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault zone.
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