Trinidad geologists tie raised Galfa shoreline to Venezuela earthquake

Geologists in Trinidad say they are puzzled, though not shocked, after a section of the island's southwestern shoreline rose by at least 20 feet in the aftermath of last week's deadly earthquake in neighbouring Venezuela.

People in the coastal community of Galfa woke on Thursday to find parts of the coast sitting higher than before, and they quickly linked the change to the two strong earthquakes in Venezuela and the dozens of aftershocks that have followed. The quakes have left nearly 2,000 people dead, while officials say as many as 70,000 others are believed missing beneath collapsed multistorey buildings and other structures.

Researchers in Trinidad, including geologists at the local University of the West Indies campus, said residents were likely correct in connecting the altered landscape to the heavy seismic activity in Venezuela, which lies only seven miles south of Trinidad. Local media have highlighted major land slippage, signs that the ground is still moving, bubbling pools of water, oil seepage, areas where natural gas is hissing out, and large cracks across the newly altered terrain.

Residents also said dozens of fish, crabs and other marine creatures were found dead in the area. The Express newspaper cited geologist Xavier Moonan, who said the event was caused by a reactivated slump associated with waterlogged soil and rock. "When it slumped downward, it lifted the coast, part of the beach, and the seabed," he said. "It lifted it up out of the water. It happened so quickly that it caught fish, crabs and stingrays off guard and they were left out of the water, where they eventually died. Boulders rolled and crushed the stingrays. So, it happened so quickly, they could not get out of the way. It happened in a matter of seconds. When the area was scooped up in the area, the animals were scooped up as well. The beach was lifted up because the hillside was tilted down."

The tremors were also felt in nearby countries such as Guyana and in islands farther north along the Caribbean chain. Galfa and surrounding districts are also known for several mud volcanoes that sometimes discharge mud and draw the attention of authorities. Trinidad has produced oil and gas for more than a century.