This March 21 in Afghanistan and Pakistan there was a strong earthquake. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the magnitude of this was 6.5 degrees.
Two days earlier, on March 19, a strong movement occurred in the southern Ecuador, leaving 14 dead, 318 injured and damage to buildings. The earthquake was of magnitude 6.5 and reached its neighbor, Peru, according to the official balance of the country.
Likewise, on Wednesday, February 15, there was also an earthquake of magnitude 7.0 that shook this Kermadec Islandsan archipelago located in the north of New Zealand, to which the authorities responded by issuing a tsunami risk warning.
In Colombia, on Friday March 10, there was a earthquake of magnitude 5.9. The epicenter was in The Table of the Saints, in Santander, considered the second seismic nest in the world.
But the earthquake presented on February 6, in Turkey and Syria, It has been the most devastating this year. More than 50,000 deaths were registered.
With this context, there are many theories that have arisen around the question of why this year is shaking so much.
What do the experts think?
The first thing they explained to Snail Radio, is that tremors or earthquakes occur due to seismic activity that occurs in the earth’s crust. This activity is due to the energy accumulated in the tectonic plates that are in constant movement. When these tectonic plates shift, there is a sudden release of energy that propagates through the Earth in the form of seismic waves, causing the earth to move.
Gonzalo Duque Escobar professor at the National University of Colombia and director of the Manizales Astronomical Observatory, assures that it’s not shaking anymore.
“What is happening is that the big cities are suffering the consequence of long-term events. In other words, when we talk regarding major earthquakes, the return period of these earthquakes exceeds 500 years and in 500 years a small town can become a larger city”, explains the expert.
According to him, our planet is suffering the consequences of events with long return periods, “when an earthquake occurs, in that same place, There is a return period of 500 years. while earthquakes can occur around every 30 or 50 years (…) What happens is that where we have towns today, an earthquake that occurred 500 years ago did not find a city as big as it is today”.
Duque Escobar assures that it is worrying, in the case of Latin America, to have cities like Bogotá, Mexico City and Lima, waiting for long-term events of magnitude, or events that tend to repeat themselves.
In the case of Colombia, the country is It is located in the collision zone of the Nazca oceanic plate with the South American continental plate.. This interaction causes stress to accumulate both in the contact zone and in the inner part of the continental and oceanic plates. “When stresses are released in the subduction zone or in tectonic faults, earthquakes occur.”
A on turn, Germán Prieto, from the Department of Geosciences from the National University of Colombia, says that he is not shaking anymore, but that it is an appreciation which has more to do with the agility of information.
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“Actually it is not that there are more earthquakes, the quickest comparison is 1906, when there was the earthquake in San Francisco and that same year there was an earthquake in Tumaco, measuring 8.8. At that time nobody remembers it, earthquakes are random in time, but now with technology, the reports come in immediately and it seems that it trembled more”, he said.
Another theory from international experts suggests that sea level rise it can affect the load on the tectonic plates, which can also cause seismic activity. And the truth is that the melting of ice in the world has reached historical maximum levels.
Likewise, the increase in human activity in seismic areas. Building construction, oil and gas drilling, damming, and mining can all increase seismic activity in a region.
Are the earthquakes related?
Earthquakes are not related to each other. The earth’s crust is in continuous motion and energy is accumulated by the movement of tectonic plates.
In the only case that earthquakes can be related, it is depending on the geographical location and the seismic activity of the area. For example, when an earthquake is followed by followingshocks. These followingshocks can continue for days, weeks, or even months following the main event.
Activation of nearby faults may also occur. If one quake is big enough, it can trigger other quakes, especially if the faults are interconnected.
But, not all earthquakes are related to each other, and earthquakes can be caused by different geological processes in different geographic locations.
Before an earthquake:
- Identify the safety zones in your home, office or school and make sure everyone around you knows regarding them too.
- Hold regular earthquake drills and review your emergency plan ahead of time.
- Keep an emergency kit with basic supplies like water, non-perishable food, flashlights, and a first aid kit.
During an earthquake:
- Keep calm and seek refuge in the previously identified safety zone.
- If you are in a room, move away from windows and lie on the floor covering your head with your hands.
- If you are outdoors, move away from buildings, utility poles, and power lines, and crouch in the open.
After an earthquake:
- Check for injuries or people in danger and provide help if possible.
- Check your home, office, or school for structural damage and make sure there are no gas or water leaks.
- Keep the radio on to receive information regarding the situation and recommendations from local authorities.
- Avoid using the phone, unless it is an emergency, to keep the lines free for people who really need help.