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How to be prepared?
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/201 ... entistsays
Haiti Earthquake Risk 'Not Over,' Scientist Says
The earthquake that devastated Haiti in January increased stresses on nearby faults, potentially increasing the likelihood of another major temblor in the islands, scientists have found.
Jian Lin, a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts, was studying a fault system on the island of Hispaniola (home to both Haiti in the west and the Dominican Republic in the east), when the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that destroyed much of Port-au-Prince struck on Jan. 12.
Lin and his colleagues, who had been measuring the stresses on fault systems in the area, were well aware of the potential for a major earthquake in Haiti.
"For us, the risk of earthquakes in this region is not really a surprise," Lin said.
The fault system that runs through Hispaniola and other parts of the Caribbean is bounded by two tectonic plates (the Caribbean and North American plates), which slowly slide past one another as they move across the Earth's surface. But while the plates move, their touching boundaries can become stuck against one another, which builds up stress along the fault.
"It's building up stress every year, every month, every day, basically," Lin told LiveScience.
That stress can build up to the point where it overwhelms the grip of the plates against each other and the fault snaps, shifting the surrounding earth with potentially deadly consequences.
The earthquake in Haiti was the result of a rupture of a 25-mile-long (40-kilometer) segment of the Enriquillo fault. Lin and his colleagues measured the stresses along other parts of the same fault that didn't rupture during the earthquake. They found that on two adjacent sections of the fault (lying just to the east and west of the section that ruptured) there was "a significant increase in stress," Lin said.
That increased stress could increase the likelihood of one of these other fault sections suddenly snapping and causing another earthquake. In the case of the section to the east, this is of "major concern," because the epicenter from a quake along this portion of the fault could be as close as 3 miles (5 km) from Port-au-Prince - the Jan. 12 quake was 9 miles (15 km) from the Haitian capital.
But when an earthquake might occur on these sections and how big it might be are things scientists can't predict.
"Scientists don't have information on the timing of the earthquake," Lin said.
Lin hopes that more researchers will monitor and study the faults around Haiti to better understand the risks associated with them, and that the continued risk of earthquakes can be better communicated to the Haitian public. He said that scientists and the government, without causing any public panic, need to communicate that "the risk of an earthquake is not over."
Lin presented his team's findings on May 3 at the European Geosciences Union General Assembly in Vienna, Austria.
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So, how can you be prepared>? Taping your pictures to the walls>? Sealing all the cabinet doors with tie-strips?>
Or, building to code, or even better, building houses out of yagua and cana so they won't fall on you and crush you...
Really, there is so little you can do in a major quake, except find out if you believe in a Higher Being, and whether the guy that built your house knew what he was doing..
This is one of those instances where "Don't worry, be happy" might apply: Hakuna matata.
Good graphics, however.
HB
Or, building to code, or even better, building houses out of yagua and cana so they won't fall on you and crush you...
Really, there is so little you can do in a major quake, except find out if you believe in a Higher Being, and whether the guy that built your house knew what he was doing..
This is one of those instances where "Don't worry, be happy" might apply: Hakuna matata.
Good graphics, however.
HB
Only thing I would see fit is a dome-home. These structures are far more resilient to quakes and other natural disasters. But I don't think it will save you from having your furniture moving around or paintings fall off the wall.
I agree with the above posters... enjoy life & don't worry too much about these things. However, there are some basic things one can do that are simple & once done, make it even easier to relax.
Just think... knowing what you know about what transpired in Haiti... should you find yourself in a similar event, what would you want?
List works for aftermath of bad earthquake or hurricane.
Perhaps others can add to a basic list, it's always earthquake season and hurricane season is coming up.
Just think... knowing what you know about what transpired in Haiti... should you find yourself in a similar event, what would you want?
List works for aftermath of bad earthquake or hurricane.
- fair amount of cash available at all times and accessible. atm's & banks may not be functioning. - cash is king in coping after any disaster - even to the point of you being among the first on a plane out if things are bad enough
- generator and sufficient gas to last a while should power be out
- canned goods supply & manual can opener
- spare batteries (rechargeable if you have your own power source if the grid is down)
- keep gas in your car so you don't get caught after an event with no transporation & it can serve as fuel to be siphoned for use in a small generator
- always keep enough bottled water for a week or more. replenish when it drops below that level
- stock candles, matches/lighters, lantern & fuel, candles
- some form of personal protection. what was deemed a safe, guarded area may not be either safe or guarded after a major natural disaster
- a first aid kit
- battery operated radio to get information if other means are limited
Perhaps others can add to a basic list, it's always earthquake season and hurricane season is coming up.
Earthquakes kind'a have me worried too.
The January quake was the first I ever really FELT in my entire life... Obviously, I am not from California.
When "it" happened, I made what I like to think, the correct moves... I sought to get out of my house quickly... I was out, wallet and phone in my hands and the ground just about stopped wiggling.
Since, I've been thinking and I established a routine, an educated guess, of what was to do, which exits to prefer depending on my location in the house, what to try to take with me and thus where to keep some stuff.
Now, when I go to bed, I keep my pants with my wallet with ID's well organized next to the my bedroom's balcony exit door. I keep the KEY to that door ON top of the pants. I've plaid thru the routine a few times, eyes shut, until it became natural.
I also installed a quake alarm in my bedroom. It's VERY sensitive and goes off very loud.
Last week, when the earth shook in Puerto Rico, my alarm went off, I was sound asleep... I think I was still asleep, when I found myself standing on my balcony, pants on, ready to jump a few seconds later.
How to prepare? Develop awareness, a routine, run it thru a couple of times, and keep the discipline. There's nothing to loose in having a little discipline.
... J-D.
The January quake was the first I ever really FELT in my entire life... Obviously, I am not from California.
When "it" happened, I made what I like to think, the correct moves... I sought to get out of my house quickly... I was out, wallet and phone in my hands and the ground just about stopped wiggling.
Since, I've been thinking and I established a routine, an educated guess, of what was to do, which exits to prefer depending on my location in the house, what to try to take with me and thus where to keep some stuff.
Now, when I go to bed, I keep my pants with my wallet with ID's well organized next to the my bedroom's balcony exit door. I keep the KEY to that door ON top of the pants. I've plaid thru the routine a few times, eyes shut, until it became natural.
I also installed a quake alarm in my bedroom. It's VERY sensitive and goes off very loud.
Last week, when the earth shook in Puerto Rico, my alarm went off, I was sound asleep... I think I was still asleep, when I found myself standing on my balcony, pants on, ready to jump a few seconds later.
How to prepare? Develop awareness, a routine, run it thru a couple of times, and keep the discipline. There's nothing to loose in having a little discipline.
... J-D.
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