Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Structural geology

Invisible faults under shaky ground

The Haiti earthquake ruptured one or more buried faults, generated tsunamis and caused extensive structural damage in Port-au-Prince. Investigations in the epicentral region quantify seismic hazards but offer no clear views of Haiti's seismic future.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: The valley of the Enriquillo–Plantain Garden fault viewed from the west.

ROGER BILHAM

Figure 2: Schematic models for subsurface slip in the Haiti earthquake.

References

  1. Calais, E. et al. Nature Geosci. 3, 794–799 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Hayes, G. P. et al. Nature Geosci. 3, 800–805 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Hough, S. et al. Nature Geosci. 3, 778–782 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Hornbach, M. J. et al. Nature Geosci. 3, 783–788 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Prentice, C. et al. Nature Geosci. 3, 789–793 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Pubellier, M., Mauffret, A., Leroy, S., Vila, J. M. & Amilcar, H. Tectonics 19, 630–648 (2000).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Kilb, D., Gomberg, J. & Bodin, P. Nature 408, 570–574 (2000).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. King, G. C. P., Stein, R. S. & Lin, J. Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 84, 935–953 (1994).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Freed, A. M. Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 33, 335–367 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. McCann, W. in Proc. NSF Caribbean Tsunami Workshop (eds Mercado-Irizarry, A. & Liu, P.) 43–65 (World Sci. Publ. Co., 2004).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bilham, R. Invisible faults under shaky ground. Nature Geosci 3, 743–745 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1000

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1000

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing