In the aftermath of an 8.9 earthquake that devastated Japan, unbelievable images have surfaced from this terrible tragedy. Even though the earthquake was the most powerful one on record in Japan, it was the subsequent tsunami that took the most lives and destroyed the most property. These photos demonstrate the power and ferocity of this heart-wrenching calamity.
In the last 40 years, the Haiti earthquake has been the deadliest and most destructive natural disaster, when measured by the amount of deaths per inhabitants. The following chart ranks these disasters by the “deaths per million inhabitants” column.
This is an interesting way to look at the damage caused by these disasters, as it highlights the overall percentage of deaths in each country. In the case of Haiti, approximately 2% of the population was killed. That’s a staggering number. Surely, every Haitian knew at least one person who lost their life in this tragedy.
Another takeaway is that it’s almost split evenly between earthquakes/tsunamis (a byproduct of earthquakes) and cyclones.
This article on 5 Probable Natural Disasters to Strike the United States contains some interesting predictions for the U.S. It’s founded in scientific data, but at the end of the day, it’s only an educated guess. Of course, we can never accurately predict any natural disaster. But we can be prepared for them.
As everyone knows by now, Chile was rocked with an enormous 8.8 earthquake early this morning. This came just one day after a 7.0 in Japan and a little over a month from the devastating 7.0 in Haiti.
The reality is, strong earthquakes occur around the world everyday. In fact, around 50 earthquakes above magnitude 6.5 are recorded somewhere in the world each year. This real-time earthquake magnitude tracking tool from the USGS, shows all the earthquakes that exceeded magnitude 5.0 in the last week. At the time of writing, over 80 earthquakes were on the list! The majority of them in the Chile region.
It is estimated that a magnitude 7.0 earthquake is equivalent to about half a million tons of high explosives. With each increase of 1.0 in the magnitude scale, it equates to 32 times more energy! That means the earthquake in Chile was approximately 800 times stronger than the ones that hit Haiti and Japan!
So how can that be? How can an earthquake of the same magnitude in Japan and Haiti result in virtually no deaths and over 230,000 deaths respectively? Further, how can an earthquake approximately 800 times stronger result in less than 1,000 deaths? It depends on many factors including:
density of the population
infrastructure and economic status of the region
education of the people
financial resources available in the aftermath
the type of earthquake (see chart on right)
Southern California Earthquake Simulation
As an example of this, Southern California is an extremely dense area of the United States. It also lies on a massive fault line known as the San Andreas Fault. Experts predict that a 7.8 magnitude quake would result in approximately 1,800 deaths. A stark contrast from Haiti. But they also estimate over 255,000 would be homeless and the economic result would be a devastating 213 billion in damages.
Relative to the density of the population, the predicted death toll is very low compared to Haiti. This is due primarily to strict building code laws that require “earthquake-proof” construction. You could also argue that the education of the people (like school drills and public awareness) and the financial resources would have a large positive impact as well.
This video is an amazing artistic depiction of such an earthquake on the San Andreas Fault:
A photo is worth a thousand words.
And since this week has kept me largely without words, the following are a few photos that capture the fear, heartache, and disbelief of tens of thousands of Haitians.
According to the USGS, earthquakes are the most costly natural hazard faced by the United States. Most people associate California with earthquakes, but quake fault lines are scattered all over the states. This map clearly shows the areas that face the most danger.
However, California is packed with people and lies on some of the most vulnerable faults. Fortunately, they are preparing well. On October 15, California will host the Great California ShakeOut to raise awareness on earthquake safety. This event originated in 2008 and is sponsored by CEMA (California Emergency Management Agency), the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and many more. It’s sure to be an informative and timely event. If you live in California, be sure to register. If you don’t, you can still learn some valuable tips.
So, are you prepared for the next earthquake? Take this fun interactive earthquake quiz to test your knowledge. And don’t forget to have an earthquake kit handy.
It is estimated that a magnitude 7.0 earthquake is equivalent to about half a million tons of high explosives. With each increase of 1.0 in the magnitude scale, it equates to 32 times more energy! That means the earthquake in Chile was approximately 800 times stronger than the ones that hit Haiti and Japan!
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