← Back to Sessions

Geosciences in Dangerous Area: The Case of Haiti

Description: 

Over the past six years, Haiti has faced escalating challenges marked by political instability, including widespread civil unrest, the assassination of its last elected president, and the capital’s incirclement by heavily armed gangs. These crisis are compounded by the country’s vulnerability to significant natural hazards, such as large earthquakes and hurricanes. Amid these adversities, Haitian geoscientists supported by local citizens, have continued to advance scientific research and education. They have conducted field investigations under perilous conditions to collect critical seismic and geological data.

Since 2019, the S2RHAI project has fostered collaboration between Haitian citizens and local scientists to enhance seismic data collection. This initiative has successfully installed and maintained more than 30 seismic stations across the country, significantly improving regional seismic monitoring. During the August 14th earthquake, local scientists carried out multiple field missions to document and analyze this major seismic event. These efforts have laid the ground work for several upcoming scientific publications. Concurrently, the expansion and enhancement of Haiti's seismic network during these hard times have significantly improved the monitoring of seismic activity across the Northern Caribbean. Preliminary analyses of data collected from this network have begun to identify seismic gaps in northern Haiti, offering new insights into regional tectonic activity. Furthermore, the improved seismic network has enhanced the completeness of the seismic catalog, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the area’s seismicity. This ongoing work highlights the resilience and uncommon but remarkable contributions of research scientists and local citizen to advancing earthquake science under extraordinary circumstances.

Session: Adventures in Social Seismology: Ethical Engagement, Earthquake Early Warnings, Operational Forecasts, and Beyond - I

Type: Oral

Date: 4/15/2025

Presentation Time: 08:00 AM (local time)

Presenting Author: Steeve

Student Presenter: No

Invited Presentation: Yes

Poster Number:

Authors