“To help assess the potential threat of more large earthquakes in Haiti and nearby areas, scientists at The University of Texas at Austin’s Institute for Geophysics are co-leading three expeditions to the country with colleagues from Purdue University, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, the U.S. Geological Survey and five other institutions.” Quoted from the University of Texas at Austin press release.
“A massive eruption of Montserrat’s Soufrière Hills Volcano covered large portions of the island in debris. The eruption was triggered by a collapse of Soufrière Hills’ summit lava dome on February 11, 2010. Pyroclastic flows raced down the northern flank of the volcano, leveling trees and destroying buildings in the village of Harris, abandoned after Soufrière Hills became active in 1995. The Montserrat Volcano Observatory reported that some flows, about 15 meters (49 feet) thick, reached the sea at Trant’s Bay. These flows extended the island’s coastline up to 650 meters (2,100 feet).” Quoted from the Earth Observatory image release.
A world map on the New York Times website shows the location of high-population cities in earthquake-prone areas where a large number of people live in poorly constructed buildings. Although the analysis predates the 2010 Haiti earthquake it still contains important information.
At 12:35 p.m. local time on February 11, 2010, Soufrière Hills Volcano on the Caribbean island of Montserrat experienced a partial dome collapse. Lasting nearly an hour, the event sent a plume 50,000 feet (15,240 meters) skyward, and sent pyroclastic flows—avalanches of hot gas and debris—some 300 to 400 meters (980 to 1,200 feet) out to sea.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this true-color image on February 11, 2010, the same afternoon that the dome collapsed. more….
“Ash routinely clouds the Caribbean skies as Soufrière Hills volcano continued its activity. For the past several weeks the Joint Air Force & Army Weather Information Network has issued multiple ash advisories every day for the West Indies. The Montserrat Volcano Observatory attributes ash emissions to the growth of Soufrière Hills’s lava dome accompanied by pyroclastic flows, some of which are reaching the ocean.” Quoted from a satellite image release at NASA’s Earth Observatory.
People who give to charities providing earthquake relief in Haiti can claim these donations on their 2009 federal tax return. Cash contributions made to these charities after January. 11, 2010, and before March 1, 2010, are eligible. Get full information at the IRS website.
As Haiti copes with the aftermath of the magnitude 7 earthquake, which struck on Tuesday, January 12, 2010, the U.S. Geological Survey is working to gather information that can aid response efforts. Michael Blanpied, USGS Earthquakes Hazards Program coordinator, gives an update on the current situation in Haiti and answers questions about the global picture.
U.S. Geological Survey Director Marcia McNutt asked a team of USGS earthquake scientists to provide an evaluation of the earthquakes facing Haiti now and in the future. This is the statement in its entirety from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Lack of sanitation and infections have become a major concern in Haiti. Thousands of lives will likely be claimed by these problems as recovery and cleanup operations move slowly.
This article at MSN gives a summary of this morning’s 6.1 magnitude aftershock, fleeting rescue efforts, problems currently being faced by earthquake survivors and future recovery.
A magnitude 6.1 aftershock occurred beneath Haiti at about 6:00 AM local time. Although this earthquake was not as strong as last week’s earthquake and was farther away from major population it was still strong enough to damage weakened structures and frighten people.
A Magnitude 5.8 earthquake occurred offshore of the Cayman Islands at about 9:30 AM local time. USGS estimated intensities: V East End; IV North Side; IV George Town; IV Bodden Town; III West Bay. There are no news reports of injuries or damage.
Kathleen Tierney, a professor of sociology and behavioral science director at the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado at Boulder comments on comparisons between the earthquake in Haiti and Hurricane Katrina.
This Landsat Geocover image shows the city of Port-au-Prince (purple) and a segment of the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault trending E-W just south of the city.
“The magnitude 7.0 earthquake that triggered disastrous destruction and mounting death tolls in Haiti this week occurred in a highly complex tangle of tectonic faults near the intersection of the Caribbean and North American crustal plates.” Quoted from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution press release.
The recent earthquake in Haiti has generated a medical crisis. Injured people are more numerous than facilities can treat, transporting injured to treatment is difficult to impossible, sanitary conditions are dangerous and disease will likely become a serious problem within just a few days.
CNN provides information on recommended ways to help victims and recovery efforts resulting from yesterday’s earthquake in Haiti. Money is the most needed item that can be used most easily by agencies that provide relief. Recommended organizations include: American Red Cross, Care, Medical Teams International, Save the Children, The Salvation Army, Shelterbox, UNICEF and others.
Over 100,000 people could have been killed in the earthquake that struck near Port-au-Prince, the capital city of Haiti. Difficulties in communication and travel will make an official death toll impossible. The death toll will continue to rise as hospitals have been destroyed and those who need medical care have no opportunity to obtain it.
CNN has links to several articles and videos on the page with this report.
As many as 3,000,000 people have been affected by today’s strong and shallow earthquake near high population areas of Haiti. Many buildings have collapsed and thousands are feared dead.
USGS reports that a magnitude 7.0 earthquake occurred in Haiti at about 4:53 PM local time. It occurred at a depth of only 10 kilometers, resulting in very strong shaking. Their estimated intensity was up to IX as shown in the map below. The cities of Carrefour, Port-au-Prince and Delmas all have significant populations and are in areas where estimated intensities were VIII and IX.
The USGS comparative: “Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant structures exist. On June 24, 1984 (UTC), a magnitude 6.7 earthquake 329 km East of this one struck the Dominican Republic, with estimated population exposures of 320,000 at intensity VII and 2,964,000 at intensity VI, resulting in an estimated 5 fatalities. Recent earthquakes in this area have caused landslides that may have contributed to losses.”
“Activity at Montserrat’s Soufrière Hills Volcano continues to ebb and flow. Growth of the lava dome on the volcano’s summit has led to numerous pyroclastic flows, some of which nearly reached the ocean.” Quoted from the Earth Observatory image release.
“The islands of the Caribbean basin are predominantly net energy importers, with the exception of Trinidad and Tobago. Some islands, such as Aruba, Curacao, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, are important centers for oil refining and storage, due to their proximity to the U.S. market.” Quoted from the EIA article.
Soufriere Hills Volcano on the Island of Montserrat began its most recent series of eruptions in 1995. Since then much of the southern part of the island has been buried by ash fall, lahars and pyroclastic flows. Explore this image to see what can happen to communities near such eruptions.
NASA’s Earth Observatory released an astronaut photograph of Soufrière Hills, a volcano on the island of Montserrat. In addition to the eruption plume the image shows ground features such as lahar deposits, pyroclastic flow deposits, ash deltas and more.
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