Download Natural Processes

II. Natural Processes
1. Analyze and understanding natural processes that created Haiti Earthquake in 2010
Haiti could have been better prepared If technically it could: in the sense that we have the
knowledge to build early warning systems and disaster mitigation plans. Since1998 according
scientists, “that stress was building up fast and ready to cause 7.0 earthquakes any time. Please
note that when it comes to earthquakes, any time means from 10-100 years, the timing is not
precise. scientists, who use GPS to monitor tectonic plate movements, informed the Haitian
authorities about this danger (Bye).
2. What caused the disaster during Haiti Earthquake in 2010.
In Haiti quake, plates slide past one another in an east-west direction from the Caribbean and
North American plates (This is known as a strike-slip boundary). “Stress builds up in points
along the boundary and along its faults where parts of the crust stick; eventually that stress is
released in a sudden, strong movement that causes the two sides of the fault to move and
generate an earthquake this occurred along the jigsaw-puzzle pieces of Earth's crust, called
plates, they moved relative to one another, usually at an imperceptibly slow pace.. The high
magnitude of quake for this region was a part of the reason for causing enormous damage to
Haiti.
Intensity and infrastructure
According to Don Blakeman, an earthquake analyst with the United States Geological Survey.
“Another factor in the damage that a quake can cause is it intensity. While magnitude is a
measurement of how much energy is released by an earthquake, intensity is "simply an
estimate or a measure of how strongly that earthquake was felt,"... In the case of the Haiti
quake, the epicenter of the quake was only 10 miles (15 km) southwest of the capital Port-auPrince and just 6.2 miles (10 km) below the Earth's surface, "which for earthquakes is very
shallow," "So everyone in Port-au-Prince is basically within 30 to 40 km [18 to 25 miles] of the
earthquake," he added.
3. Fundamental concepts for understanding natural processes as hazard in Haiti
Earthquake in 2010.
-Hazards are predictable from a scientific perspective,
The Haiti’s quake came suddenly, nevertheless, the results were expectable. Scientists
from the Earth Institute and other parts of Columbia University were in Port-au-Prince
just at the moment it struck, with a project looking for how to reduce the nation’s
obvious vulnerability to natural disasters
-Risk analysis is an important component in our understanding of effects of Hazardous
processes,
According to Geoscience “The 12 January 2010 Haiti earthquake served as a potent
reminder — as if we needed one — that the Earth has no sympathy for the poorest
among us. As we approach the first anniversary of the quake, much will be written
about the disproportionate impact of disasters on the poor, the pace of recovery and
the goal of building a better Haiti out of the rubble”.
-Linkages between different natural hazards as well as between hazards and the physical
environment.
“An earthquake may cause injury and loss of life, road and bridge damage, general property
damage, and collapse or destabilization (potentially leading to future collapse) of buildings. The
aftermath may bring disease, lack of basic necessities, and higher insurance premiums. Haiti
Earthquake in January 2010 killed 316,000 people and caused serious damage in the
environment” (Lam).
References
Arthur Lerner-Lam(2010). Beyond bricks and mort Nature Geoscience 3,740–
741(2010)doi:10.1038/ngeo1003Published online29 October 2010
Shaken islandpp737(2010). Nature Geoscience, doi:10.1038/ngeo1013.
http://www.nature.com/ngeo/focus/haiti/index.html
State of the planet(2010) .Blog from the Earth Institute. The Haiti Earthquake.
http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/tag/haiti-earthquake/
Andrea Thompson(2010). Haiti Earthquake Science: What Caused the Disaster
Date: 13 January 2010 Time: 07:47 AM ET. http://www.livescience.com/9798-haiti-earthquakescience-caused-disaster.html
Bente Lilja Bye. The Haiti Earthquake: Science, Early Warning And Mitigation. February 8th 2010
03:01 PM.
http://www.science20.com/planetbye/haiti_earthquake_science_early_warning_and_mitigatio
n-64381
100202-N-MG658-241
An earthquake survivor removes debris from a devastated road in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Feb. 2,
2010. The Jan. 12, 2010, 7.0-magnitude earthquake left thousands of Haitians displaced and
without access to food, water and vital medical care. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication
Specialist 2nd Class Todd Frantom/Released)
Photographer's Name: MC2 Todd FrantomLocation: Delmas
Date Shot: 2/2/2010Date Posted: 2/3/2010VIRIN: 100202-N-MG658-241