January 15, 2010 - Damaged buildings in Haiti's capital of Port-au-Prince after a massive earthquake on January 12, 2010. The devastation from the quake was massive and rebuilding has been impossibly slow. View more images in the slideshow below. (IFRC/Eric Quintero)
Early on the morning of January 12, 2010 a massive 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti leaving death and destruction. Despite an immediate outpouring, rebuilding of the Northern Hemisphere’s poorest nation has been slow, hampered by corruption and bureaucracy.
The quake, Centered 10 miles from Port-Au-Prince, buildings were reduced to rubble within minutes burying thousands of people alive. Aftershocks rocked the nation for weeks collapsing structures that had withstood the initial shaking.
As many as 230,000 people were killed in the earthquake. An estimated 300,000 were injured and 250,000 homes and 30,000 businesses were destroyed.
Billions of dollars in aid pledged
Individual countries, charitable organizations and the United Nations rushed aid to the impoverished country. By March, 2010 more than $12 billion in aid had been pledged but it has been slow to arrive and its disbursement toward relief efforts even slower.
According to the United Nations, funding from all types of organizations was to total $2 billion in 2010 alone. A failure to follow through by all groups has resulted in only $1.3 billion being received.
Squalid living conditions bring disease
The earthquake left as many as 1.5 million residents without homes. Tent cities erected by humanitarian groups are now home to 1.2 million people, 375,000 of whom are children.
The conditions are deplorable and concerns of disease outbreaks came to fruition last year. An outbreak of cholera afflicted 155,000 people and has killed nearly 4,000.
Indonesia's Mount Merapi erupted multiple times in the past week even as the nation is recovering from a tsunami. View photos of the eruption in the slideshow below.
One major natural disaster is bad enough but the nation of Indonesia is struggling to recover from two that struck in the past week. A major earthquake caused a tsunami late Monday and Tuesday the nation’s most active volcano erupted.
Off the nation’s western coast, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake triggered a tsunami with 10 foot waves on Monday. Villages on the islands of Pagai and Silabu were destroyed and the death toll from that event stands at more than 400 with nearly 200 still missing.
Evacuations had been issued prior to the first eruption however many ignored the warnings. Further, after the initial blast, many residents returned home only to find themselves in danger from subsequent eruptions.
View the slideshow below for images from the erupting volcano and the aftermath. For complete coverage of the tsunami and volcano -and all forms of natural disasters – please visit the Natural Disasters Examiner.
Merapi, one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, lies in one of the world’s most densely populated areas and dominates the landscape immediately north of the major city of Yogyakarta. Merapi is the youngest and southernmost of a volcanic chain extending NNW to Ungaran volcano.
Growth of Old Merapi volcano beginning during the Pleistocene ended with major edifice collapse perhaps about 2000 years ago, leaving a large arcuate scarp cutting the eroded older Batulawang volcano. Subsequently growth of the steep-sided Young Merapi edifice, its upper part unvegetated due to frequent eruptive activity, began SW of the earlier collapse scarp.
Pyroclastic flows and lahars accompanying growth and collapse of the steep-sided active summit lava dome have devastated cultivated lands on the volcano’s western-to-southern flanks and caused many fatalities during historical time. The volcano is the object of extensive monitoring efforts by the Merapi Volcano Observatory.
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck north of Anchorage, Alaska on Wednesday evening. (USGS)
Alaska is one of the most seismically active parts of the United States and early Thursday morning residents near Anchorage received a reminder of that fact. A magnitude 5.0 temblor stuck in the evening hours on Wednesday and was felt across the south-central area of the state.
Centered 50 miles north-northwest of Anchorage, the quake struck at 07:15pm and according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was at a depth of 12.9 miles below the surface.
The service said it had received reports of the temblor being felt as far away as Palmer and Valdez to the east and Skwentna to the west. Residents of Anchorage and Seward to the south also felt the shaking.
Being along the Pacific Ring of Fire, Alaska regularly experiences earthquakes although most are small and not felt. The boundary of the North American and Pacific tectonic plates that runs through south-central Alaska and the Aleutian Islands is where most of the activity occurs.
The Alaska Earthquake Information Center (AEIC) says that the state receives from 50 to 100 earthquakes a day. Three of the 10 largest earthquakes recorded in the world, all larger than magnitude 7.9, have been recorded in Alaska.
The early morning quiet on Tuesday in Southern California was broken by a magnitude 4.4 earthquake near Los Angeles. The temblor, centered near Pico Rivera, caused no major damage but rattled area residents and put first responders on alert.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake occurred at 4:04am and originated 11.7 miles below the surface of the earth. The epicenter was less than a half mile from Pico Rivera or 10 miles east-southeast of downtown Los Angeles.
While the quake was relatively small, it was felt across a large swath of Southern California. Reports indicate it was felt as far north as Rosamond, as far east as Lucerne Valley and as far as Poway near San Diego to the south.
The Earth's axis was shifted slightly and our days shortened by last Saturday's earthquake in Chile. (NASA)
NASA scientists have determined that the massive magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck Chile on Saturday has shortened our days and shifted the Earth’s axis. Officials said that the effects of the event while not unusual are a testament to the power of the temblor.
Richard Gross, a research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), said his team had determined the Chile earthquake shorted the length of an Earth day by 1.26 microseconds. A microsecond is one millionth of a second.
The 2004 earthquake in Sumatra which triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000 people was a magnitude 9.1 temblor. That event shortened the days by 6.8 microseconds according to the same computer models.
Most interesting is the effect the quakes had on the earth’s axis. Saturday’s earthquake shifted the earth’s axis by 2.7 milliarcseconds (about 8 centimeters, or 3 inches). The Sumatran quake shifted the planet’s axis by 2.32 milliarcseconds (about 7 centimeters, or 2.76 inches).
The scientists said the 2010 Chile quake had a greater effect on the Earth’s axis than the 2004 temblor because it occurred in the planet’s mid-latitudes. By contrast, the Sumatran quake was near the equator.
Researchers have said that all earthquakes affect the Earth’s axis. Dr. Benjamin Fong Chao, of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, said “Any worldly event that involves the movement of mass affects the Earth’s rotation, from seasonal weather down to driving a car.”
A crushed car in a parking garage in Concepcion Chile following the earthquake early Saturday morning Feb. 27, 2010. (TVN)
Buildings lie in heaps of rubble, highway overpasses collapsed and large crevices opened in the earth following a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Chile yesterday. Aftershocks continue to rock the nation while rescuers try to reach an untold number lying buried in the remnants of towns and cities.
Yesterday’s earthquake struck the nation early in the morning hours when most residents were still sleeping. The temblor’s 8.8 magnitude rating demonstrates the power of the quake and put the event in a tie for the fifth most powerful earthquake since 1900.
Tsunami warnings were issued immediately following the quake for thousands of miles of coastline surrounding the Pacific Ocean. From California and Alaska to Hawaii and Japan, officials worried about a devastating wave that could have been generated by the quake.
Near the epicenter, Chile is under a ‘state of catastrophe’ and officials work to direct recovery efforts. Outgoing President Michelle Bachelet said, “It was a catastrophe of devastating consequences.”
Officially the death toll from the quake stands at 214 however officials warn that number will almost certainly grow. 500,000 homes were damaged by the quake and 1.5 million residents have been affected.
Concepcion, the largest city closest to the epicenter, saw widespread destruction and the greatest count of fatalities thus far. Buildings across the city were collapsed into ruin and rescuers were working to comb the rubble for survivors.
The nation’s capital, 200 miles from the epicenter, was not spared. Elevated highways collapsed and apartment buildings were reduced to piles of brick and mortar.
Rescuers were struggling to reach possible survivors as they run low on supplies and gasoline. Adding to the difficulty are ongoing aftershocks that threaten to bring down already weakened structures. More than 80 aftershocks of magnitude 5.0 have occurred since the main quake struck at 3:34am Saturday.
Officials with the U.S. Geological Survey said yesterday’s quake was several hundred times more powerful than the magnitude 7.0 quake that devastated Haiti last month. Chile however is in an earthquake-prone region and newer buildings have been built to withstand quakes.
The service also said that the Chile quake was centered 21.7 miles beneath the earth’s surface, considerably deeper than the 8.1 mile depth of the Haiti quake. Its magnitude 8.8 rating puts it in a tie as the fifth largest earthquake to strike the globe since 1900.
Smoke and haze are clearly seen over Santiago, Chile after the earthquake in this image released by NASA. See larger before and after images below. (NASA)
The quake has caused tsunami warnings to be issued for most of the nations along the Pacific including Australia, Japan, Russia, Indonesia and the Philippines. In Hawaii, the tsunami arrived in recent hours and it appears the state will escape relatively unscathed.
NASA’s Terra satellite flew over the stricken area today and the agency released ‘before and after’ photos that clearly show the smoke and dust. For complete coverage of the earthquakes, please visit the Natural Disasters Examiner.
Haze Over Santiago Following 8.8 Earthquake
After Image
Before image
Haze lingered over the metropolitan area of Santiago, Chile, following a magnitude 8.8 earthquake on February 27, 2010. In an image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite at 14:25 UTC, black smoke hung over the northern part of the city, while light-colored haze (perhaps pollution and/or dust) covered the southern part of the city and filled a canyon that cuts eastward into the mountains. The lower image, acquired on February 23, shows the city and surroundings under clear-sky conditions.
NASA images provided by the MODIS Rapid Response Team. Caption by Rebecca Lindsey.
Tsunami wave travel times as a result of the magnitude 8.8 earthquake near Chile. (NOAA)
One of the largest earthquakes since 1900 struck off the coast of Chile early Saturday morning prompting tsunami warnings, collapsing buildings and claiming an unknown number of lives. The magnitude 8.8 temblor struck at 3:34am local time (06:34 UTC) and has been followed by more than 50 significant aftershocks.
At the current time, many eyes are focused on Hawaii. A tsunami has been generated by the quake and is expected to arrive in Hawaii at 2:05 MST.
Saturday, February 27th, 2010
Update, 12:12pm MST – Powerful aftershocks continue to rock Chile. According to the U.S. Geological survey, more than 50 aftershocks of magnitude 5.0… Keep Reading »
Venezuela's state run media is reporting that the United States used a devastating new 'earthquake weapon' to cause the earthquake that struck Haiti last week. (Examiner.com)
Unbeknownst to the world, the United States has a new weapon that was responsible for last week’s magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Haiti and the May 2008 earthquake in Sichuan, China that killed 90,000 people. That of course is a ridiculous statement but the claim was nevertheless made on Venezuela’s ViVe TV, the official news outlet of the nation’s dictator, Hugo Chavez.
According to the report, not only can this devastating weapon cause earthquakes, it can also “create weather anomalies to cause floods, droughts and hurricanes.” The claims are based on a supposed report from Russia’s Northern Fleet which has been monitoring United States Navy activity and documented the new device.
ViVe TV says the earthquake in Haiti was the result of the U.S. Navy testing this new weapon and the United States was aware that it could cause damage. Despite this, ViVe says the U.S. proceed with the test and “had pre-positioned their Commander Southern Command Officer, Gen. PK Keen, on the island to oversee relief efforts if needed.”
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck northern New Mexico early Monday morning. The temblor was felt as far away as Trinidad, Colorado. (USGS)
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck northern New Mexico west of Raton early this morning and was felt as far away as Trinidad, Colorado. The U.S. Geological Survey says that the temblor’s epicenter was 16 miles west of Raton and originated 3.1 miles underground.
No damage from the quake that occurred at 1:41am on Monday morning has been reported. While a magnitude 4.1 quake is not a major quake, had it struck in a more densely populated area it would have been sufficient to knock items off of shelves.
While normally not particularly active, there are approximately 100 potentially active faults in Colorado and more than 400 temblors of magnitude 2.5 have occurred in the state since 1870. The state’s largest quake occurred on November 7, 1882 along the northern Front Range and measured 6.5 on the Richter Scale.
According to the Colorado Division of Emergency Management, the costliest quake was a 5.3 magnitude temblor that occurred on August 9, 1967 and was centered near Commerce City. The quake caused more than $1 million worth of damage and is thought to have been caused by the injection of liquid waste into the earth at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal.
The Sangre de Christo Fault, near which the quake occurred, is located in the mountain range for which it is named and runs more than 110 miles from the New Mexico border north into Colorado. In 2001 an earthquake “swarm” shook the area near Trinidad on the fault. During that event, from August 28 and September 21 of that year, 12 earthquakes of magnitude 2.8 to 4.6 struck just west of the southern Colorado city in the same area as Monday’s quake.
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