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An earthquake also referred to as an earth tremor is a phenomenon that takes place as a result of the abrupt discharge of energy within the Earths outer layer that leads to the formation of seismic waves. The apparatus used for the detection and registration of earthquakes is referred to as a seismometer that resisters earth tremors with a moment magnitude of above 3. Those with magnitude below are often unnoticeable; and those with a magnitude above 7 leading to severe damage and their quaking intensity are measured using a Mercalli scale. The negative effects of major earthquakes include tsunamis and induced volcanic action. (Cave 23-26)
The recent Haiti earthquake was caused by the shaking of the same mechanisms that are known to affect the urban centers by the side of the San Andreas Fault. The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.0 that could cause destruction anywhere but its effects were more far-reaching due to the weak infrastructural system of the poor nation. In the Haiti case, the Caribbean and North American plates slid past each other in an East-west direction which is scientifically referred to as a strike-slip boundary. As a result, there is a build-up of stress along the border at the areas of the fault where the different earth plates joint. As a result, the stress that has built up is abruptly discharged; in a sudden physically powerful movement that makes both sides of the fault move forming an earthquake. The Enriquillo-Plantain fault system is the fault that was involved in the rupture leading to the Haiti Earthquake. The Haiti earthquake may also be argued to have resulted from the short distance between the Haiti region and the epicenter that in the case of Haiti is estimated to be 10miles southwest of the Capital Port-au-prince and 6.2 miles beneath the Earths surface. The other cause of the earthquake is the strategic location of the island that lays amid two tectonic plates the Caribbean and North American. Another cause for the Haiti Earthquake is the detachment of two plates that had remained stuck together since 1751 releasing the pressure that had built up for over 250 years from the earthquakes epicenter that led to the displacement of Haiti Island. However, all the pressure that had built up was released by the Quake; raising more alarm than is caused by the paltry nature of the underlying Caribbean plate. (Boyle 20-23)
This is made worse by the fact that much of the region that forms the plate boundaries are far below the sea level therefore inaccessible to the evaluation of scientists who can help unveil the other reasons behind the Haiti earthquake. However, after the 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti; at least fourteen aftershocks with a magnitude up to 5 or more have been recorded. This further places the island at the risk of being struck by another earthquake accident. (Sutton, Anthony & Pascal 12-20)
An earthquake is a natural occurrence that takes place due to the sudden release of energy that develops as a result of the seismic action that results from the friction that takes when two adjacent tectonic plates move in opposite directions to one another. The sudden discharge of this energy leads to the movement of the land plates in contact that is felt on the surface of the earth as tremors whose magnitude is measured using a seismometer. In the case of Haiti, the causes of the quake include the sliding past each other of the Caribbean and North American plates and the pressure release of pressure that had built up over 250 years among other factors.
Work cited
Sutton, Jane., Anthony, Boadle. and Pascal, Fletcher. Haiti quake death toll may hit 200,000-minister .Reuters.Alertnet(Reuters). 2010:12-20. Web.
Cave, Damien. Exodus to Countryside Reverses Long Trend . The New York Times, 2010: 23-26.
Boyle, Christina. Haiti earthquake: Thousands flee ravaged Port-au-Prince following powerful aftershock.Daily News, 2010: 20-23.
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