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Seismologist Explains Mexico's Back-To-Back Earthquakes (theverge.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: The second major earthquake to strike Mexico in less than two weeks has caused catastrophic damage in the country's capital. The magnitude 7.1 temblor started at around 1:15PM -- cracking highways, collapsing buildings, and, so far, killing more than 200 people. Less than two weeks ago on September 7th (local time), a magnitude 8.1 quake struck roughly 400 miles southeast from today's. It's not common to hear of such strong earthquakes happening back-to-back so close to one another, says John Bellini, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey. "Usually you don't have large ones in the same general region right away," Bellini says. "But in highly [seismically] active regions of the world, it can happen."
Mexico qualifies as highly active. The country sits at the boundary of three pieces of the Earth's crust that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle -- called tectonic plates. Today's quake originated on a fault within the Cocos plate, which is on Mexico's western edge. "Whether or not faults rupture depends on the kind of stress that builds up," Bellini says. The Cocos plate scoots rapidly under the continental crust of the North American plate, which "builds up the stress and strain at a faster rate," Bellini says. "So you're liable to have more frequent earthquakes because of that." Mexico City is especially prone to severe damage because of the ground it sits on -- an ancient lakebed that quivers like jello, Bellini says. When earthquake waves pass through it, it jiggles, magnifying the vibrations. "So the reason that Mexico City seems susceptible to more damage is because of this amplification effect of the lake bed," Bellini says.
Mexico qualifies as highly active. The country sits at the boundary of three pieces of the Earth's crust that fit together like a jigsaw puzzle -- called tectonic plates. Today's quake originated on a fault within the Cocos plate, which is on Mexico's western edge. "Whether or not faults rupture depends on the kind of stress that builds up," Bellini says. The Cocos plate scoots rapidly under the continental crust of the North American plate, which "builds up the stress and strain at a faster rate," Bellini says. "So you're liable to have more frequent earthquakes because of that." Mexico City is especially prone to severe damage because of the ground it sits on -- an ancient lakebed that quivers like jello, Bellini says. When earthquake waves pass through it, it jiggles, magnifying the vibrations. "So the reason that Mexico City seems susceptible to more damage is because of this amplification effect of the lake bed," Bellini says.
Climate Change Is REAL!
now i'm hungry
Experiencing a little turbulence in our solar orbit.
"Tempers are wearing thin. Let's just hope some robot doesn't kill everybody." --Bender
Why do we, as a society, continue to pay enormous amounts of resources to rebuild in places such as Mexico City, New Orleans, Houston, etc? These places are proven by science to be horrible places to build infrastructure. Yet the same people who argue we should spend tax dollars rebuilding for the people that continuously ignore nature/science and rebuild in places like this, also cry that we need to spend more money to prevent human caused global warming? Someone please explain this hypocrisy to me.
We might as well say it.
#DeleteFacebook
There haven't been any aftershocks within 100 miles of the 7.1, not a single one.
World's ending Saturday.
What leads one to the conclusion that the prior comment is trolling?
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
http://qz.com/1082191/an-earth... :(
Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
No. You'll be fine, more likely than not.
"So long and thanks for all the fish."