Mega Earthquakes: Threats and Preparedness on the Pacific Coast

2023-06-06 04:21:20

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Earthquakes are movements that the earth uses to release energy. Still, humanity fears them for the destruction they cause.

6/6/2023

Earthquakes are part of the daily life of planet earth, from small tremors barely captured by geological technology to large earthquakes such as those that occurred in Indonesia, Japan or Chile, They are natural disasters that cannot be avoided, although they can be prevented so that their impact is not so powerful.

The strongest earthquake ever recorded by humanity occurred on May 22, 1960 in Valdivia, Chile, presenting a moment magnitude of 9.6, which lasted regarding 15 minutes and left a balance of just under two thousand dead..

The subsequent tsunami, which reached Japan, caused waves of up to six meters, leaving fatalities in its wake. This tidal wave also reached New Zealand, Hong Kong, and the Kamchatka Peninsula, in smaller proportions. However, this earthquake would move to second place since, according to several studies, another mega earthquake might happen at any time, but this time, in the north of the continent.

According to a study conducted by a group of scientists from the University of Washington, there is a rift in the Pacific Ocean called Pythias Oasis which, although it is located in the depths of the ocean, It can cause a mega earthquake of minimum magnitude 9°and which might be felt with great intensity in Canada, the United States and Mexico.

This rift features low salinity and high temperatures that flow through the seabed almost a kilometer deep. The highlight of the case is that thanks to this fluid, the movements of the tectonic plates are smoothed, however, if it runs out, or the level is lowered, it might cause a mega earthquake.

The cities most affected by this mega-earthquake would be those located on the Pacific coast such as Vancouver in Canada, Anchorage, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego in the United States, and Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlán in Mexico..

Because earthquakes cannot be foreseen, the competent authorities urge the population to be prepared to face this, or several earthquakes, quickly and as calmly as possible, taking a first-aid kit with them and following the recommendations of the earthquake authorities. emergencies.

The most powerful earthquakes that humanity has been able to record have taken place on the Pacific coast thanks to the well-known ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’ which is a place where several tectonic plates are constantly moving, causing earthquakes of moment magnitude 9.1 registered in Japan in 2011, of 9.3 in Indonesia in 2004, of 8.3 in Alaska in 1952 (Which generated a wave of 520 meters causing a mega tsunami)and that of Valdivia previously mentioned.

The scientific community calls not to be alarmist in these cases; however, it is considered an important responsibility to make these estimates and studies known to the community in general, so that the governments of the nations that would be affected by this mega-earthquake are prepared for the moment of the earthquake, in order to mitigate deaths as much as possible and have adequate rescue teams.

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