Why haiti earthquake was so devastating

Between the jostling of the North American, Cocos, South American, and Nazca plates, the Caribbean plate is constantly shoved and squashed by tectonic movements.

The key juncture that sparks shaking on the surface in Haiti lies just to the north of the island nation, where the Caribbean plate creeps eastward roughly three-quarters of an inch each year relative to the North American plate.

Yet the boundary between the plates is not one straight fracture. As the plates grind against each other, the forces produce a series of fractures that crisscross the region. Both the event and this latest quake—as well as multiple older quakes—occurred within one set of these breaks, which are known collectively as the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault zone. Scientists believe that the event is likely connected to today's temblor. Analyses of the region after the temblor suggested that the shifting of the surface increased stresses both eastward toward Port-au-Prince and westward toward the epicenter of today's magnitude 7.

Hough adds that a similar increase in stress on faults in this area was seen during the s, when a spate of earthquakes struck in , , and Stress also tends to accumulate most at bends or curves in the faults, Saint Fleur says, and today's event seemed to strike at one such bend. The epicenter is near the site of the quake, which, at an estimated magnitude 7. Yet even with this information, it's still not possible to predict quakes, Hough notes. But "there's no way to know which domino might go next.

One such quake, clocking in at a magnitude 8. But the Aleutian Islands are sparsely populated, so that quake caused little damage.

The deadliness of quakes in Haiti is the result of the structures on the surface as much as the shaking underground. The unrest and poverty have translated to the development of the region, which is rife with substandard structures and building materials.

Many structures use concrete, which is inexpensive and can be used to create heavy walls and roofs that resist hurricane winds, Hough says. Yet, the Philippine earthquake had little in the way of damage or casualties. So, what set them apart? One piece of the puzzle is the depth of the earthquake. That makes a big difference.

Usually, the deeper the earthquake, the less shaking is felt at the surface. So, although the earthquakes were the same magnitude -- that is, the released roughly the same energy -- the shaking of the Haitian earthquake at the surface would be that much more intense. That alone isn't enough to explain all the difference. The third reason that these earthquakes' impacts were so different is preparedness. Haiti has been in turmoil for decades and this has only increased since the earthquake and the recent assisination of ther country's president.

There is very little established hazard mitigation in the country. No one is planning escape routes and organizing practice evacuations. There isn't a large force like FEMA ready to respond when a disaster strikes. When Seattle was hit with an earthquake measuring 6. It also helped that many of Seattle's buildings are constructed with features that make them better able to withstand the shaking and twisting that accompanies a quake.

Magnitude: 7. Widespread damage as epicentre of quake was 15 kilometres outside the capital. Number of dead unknown. Quake destroyed buildings, and much of the island lost electricity.

One person died. Damage was minimal, and no one died because the epicentre was far enough from any inhabited island. Magnitude: 8. There are city planners. We'll notify you here with news about. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest?

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