Blog Final: Earthquakes
For my country Mexico, all natural hazards have left a great impact. However, the one I will be focusing on for my final blog post is earthquakes. Looking at all the natural hazards and their effects, earthquakes seem to have been the most problematic. Mexico is one of the most seismologically active regions on earth due to its placement on the tectonic map. Mexico sits on top of not one or two but three of the earth’s tectonic plates.Therefore, the motion of these plates causes earthquakes and volcanic activity. Seismic activity in Mexico has been very active. Seismic waves are a form of elastic energy that has been stored under faults. When the fault breaks, these waves are released and radiate outwards in all directions (Keller, DeVecchio, Natural Hazards). The motion that these waves develop are commonly what we perceive as an earthquake.The subduction of the Cocos plate accounts for the frequency of earthquakes near Mexico's southern coast. As the rocks constituting the ocean floor are forced down, they melt, and the molten material is forced up through weaknesses in the surface rock. I am addressing this as a priority because the impact of an earthquake can be very negative and costly. In order to promote earthquake awareness it is crucial to inform and educate society on earthquake preparedness. As mentioned in our textbook, “education is an important component of preparedness at the community level.” (92). Efforts such as videos, pamphlets, workshops, etc.. could all be implemented in Mexico to decrease the fatality rate. Another reason I chose to be focusing on earthquakes is because as we all know, earthquakes cause other natural hazards as well, such as liquefaction, fires, and even landslides. So in a sense, it is like dealing with a bunch of natural hazards as opposed to just one.
Recommendations I have to addressing this hazard is having a top of the line earthquake system in place all throughout the country. Placing seismometers and transmitters all throughout the plates would greatly help with earthquake safety. This will then eventually help with the short-term prediction and long-term prediction of earthquakes as well. As stated in our textbook, steps must be taken by countries, states, communities, and individuals to adjust to the earthquake hazard (90). Pointing out different facilities throughout my country for civilians to utilize in case a earthquake does break out is important as well. Knowing what to do, and where to go in times like this is extremely important. Creating evacuation plans and thoroughly going over them with your family is another key step to ensure safety. When an earthquake does occur, cell phones won’t be working, roads may be blocked, stores will be closed and this all needs to be though out during the evacuation plan. To be able to respond rapidly to disasters, Mexico recently launched a new US $315 million catastrophe bond, called MultiCat Mexico 2012. This is a flexible financial tool that provides quick insurance against earthquakes and catastrophes. MultiCat Mexico 2012 was the third catastrophe bond that Mexico issued, and the second one under the World Bank Multicat Program. Thanks to Mexico's solid reputation in that catastrophe bond market and a growing investor base, this new bond achieved very competitive terms.
The place I would target help first would be Mexico City. Mexico City suffers mainly from earthquakes coming from the "Placa de Cocos" or "Cocos Plate". As mentioned previously, these plates are in constant friction with the Pacific plate. The reason for this is mostly due to the fact that Mexico City developed primarily on top of a former valley that was mainly a lake and a swamp. Many old buildings were built on top of this unstable land, including most of Mexico City. Modern buildings are made by piercing through this muddy terrain until they find solid bedrock, to build the foundations from there up. Each year more than 90 temblors above the magnitude 4.0 are recorded in this zone. That is why earthquakes in Mexico City are far more dangerous than in other places in the country. Now if I was to construct a house, I would probably be best off building it away from the Mexican coast and closer up north near the border by Texas. As seen in the diagram below, earthquake hazard is extremely low in this area. As we move along the coast, we see dark red indicating a very high risk for earthquakes.
Sources:
- http://earthquaketrack.com/p/mexico/recent
- http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2012/11/20/strategy-to-prevent-and-manage-disaster-risks-Mexico
