THE EARTHQUAKE UNIT
Mr Kevin Tankoo – Research Fellow and Head of Unit
INTRODUCTION The Earthquake/Seismic Unit (EQU) is a research unit of the Department of Geog- raphy & Geology that is funded directly by the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) as the sole agency responsible for the monitoring of earthquakes and research in seismic hazards in Jamaica. The Unit was established to understand seismic processes in Jamaica and the region as well as to advise the society about earthquake hazards, encourage community awareness and promote mitigation strategies for develop- ment. The EQU is responsible for operating and managing the Jamaica Seismo- graph Network (JSN), Jamaica Strong Motion Accelerograph Network (JSMAN), Jamaica Educational Seismic Network (JAESN), USGS Global Seismograph Network/ Caribbean Tsunami Warning MTDJ station, local GPS stations for the UNAVCO Continuously Operating Caribbean GPS Observational Network (COCONet) and also acts as the National Data Centre for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO). In addition to serving as the hub for earthquake monitoring and seismic research, the EQU is affiliated with other Caribbean and regional networks, maintains an earthquake database, informs the public about earthquakes felt, collect information seismic data, conduct research and host visits from schools or community groups. WORK OF THE UNIT For the period August 2022 to July 2023, the EQU maintained a full operational status as an essential service to the country. The Unit was once again successful in its bid to secure additional funding for significant improvements to its operations and overall capacity. Following the restructuring of several GOJ ministries, the EQU was moved from the Ministry of Transport & Mining to the new Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Mining in May 2023. Key achievements for the reporting period included: JMD 100 million in funding for training and equipment from the World Bank, significant improvements to the seismic network, active research
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