The existence of volcanoes is related to the friction between continental plates and the pressure between these is generated. In Central America the crosses the Sierra Madre, the complex of mountains and volcanoes, Guatemala characterizing details.
recently have been going on a series of earthquakes in Guatemala, which has aroused the concern of all its inhabitants. The unfortunate part is that people live in an area of \u200b\u200bhigh risk. This also creates a situation of misinformation and / or myths:
Básicamente, la falla del Motagua es donde se unen dos grandes placas tectonicas: La Placa de América del Norte y la Placa del Caribe, atravesando por la mitad a Guatemala. Tambien la Placa de Cocos pega contra la Placa del Caribe justo en la Costa Sur guatemalteca. A esto agreguemos el hecho de que Centroamérica y el caribe se encuentran sobre una pequeña Placa (Del Caribe), presionada por 4 placas tectonicas: La placa de América del Norte, la de América del Sur, la de Cocos y la de Nazca. Las cuatro placas dan la impresión de querer “refaccionarse” a la placa del Caribe.
Como producto de todo lo mencionado con anterioridad, ahora nos podemos dar una mejor idea de porque han habido tantos terremotos en Guatemala.
Guatemala has three areas that generate earthquakes. High level seismic Benioff zone is hosted toward the northeast caused by the collision of the Cocos Plate against and beneath the Caribbean plate (also called Motagua fault) caused the 1976 earthquake. The second is over the hill.
The third is the fault that bisects the country from east to west.
Note the importance of the fault that caused the earthquake of 1976 to U.S. researchers lies in its similarity to the San Andreas fault, California.
updated images
recently have been going on a series of earthquakes in Guatemala, which has aroused the concern of all its inhabitants. The unfortunate part is that people live in an area of \u200b\u200bhigh risk. This also creates a situation of misinformation and / or myths:
"Is that your house is felt stronger because there is the San Miguel fault Petapa ..."
"You better have plenty of shaking gently, so they settle the plates ... "
" Whenever the rain and winter begins to shake ... is water pressure and clouds "
The reality is that, beyond to try and deny whether or not these are true statements are often heard in time of earthquakes, we must realize this: Every Guatemala is located on a major fault. "You better have plenty of shaking gently, so they settle the plates ... "
" Whenever the rain and winter begins to shake ... is water pressure and clouds "
Básicamente, la falla del Motagua es donde se unen dos grandes placas tectonicas: La Placa de América del Norte y la Placa del Caribe, atravesando por la mitad a Guatemala. Tambien la Placa de Cocos pega contra la Placa del Caribe justo en la Costa Sur guatemalteca. A esto agreguemos el hecho de que Centroamérica y el caribe se encuentran sobre una pequeña Placa (Del Caribe), presionada por 4 placas tectonicas: La placa de América del Norte, la de América del Sur, la de Cocos y la de Nazca. Las cuatro placas dan la impresión de querer “refaccionarse” a la placa del Caribe.
Como producto de todo lo mencionado con anterioridad, ahora nos podemos dar una mejor idea de porque han habido tantos terremotos en Guatemala.
Guatemala has three areas that generate earthquakes. High level seismic Benioff zone is hosted toward the northeast caused by the collision of the Cocos Plate against and beneath the Caribbean plate (also called Motagua fault) caused the 1976 earthquake. The second is over the hill.
The third is the fault that bisects the country from east to west.
Note the importance of the fault that caused the earthquake of 1976 to U.S. researchers lies in its similarity to the San Andreas fault, California.
updated images
current earthquakes in Guatemala
Source: Suervey United States Geological Survey (USGS)
Looking globally, Guatemala is in the Ring of Fire, a whole line of friction between the plates, many subduction.
historical earthquakes
and construction since the English conquest, the first earthquake happen in 1526. In 1541 another earthquake occurs, coupled with two days of rains that caused mudslides, destroyed the capital, forcing its relocation. Notably, the widow of Pedro de Alvarado, conqueror of Guatemala sent Cortez died. The equity in your new location back to suffer several earthquakes. There are at least 28 earthquakes as such, even earthquakes.
In 1917-1918 the first strong earthquake occurs the twentieth century. It was actually a string of earthquakes, including four strong and ultimately destructive. First was recorded November 17, 1917. On December 25, 1917, shortly after 10pm start movements that begin to destroy the capital, was quiet at dawn. The second major case on 29 December. On January 3 occurs the third strongest, and the last case on 24 January 1918. A month of earthquakes that destroyed the country. Besides earthquakes are "local" by fault motion.
Earthquake of 1976
The last major earthquake in Guatemala was the one that occurred at 3:03 am on February 4, 1976. At that time 17 of 22 departments ("department" is the equivalent of "region" in Chile) suffered considerable destruction. Registered a magnitude of 7.5 degrees on the Richter scale. There was a rupture area of \u200b\u200babout 300km, and a shift of 325cm, the average is 100cm. (USGS)
About 25 thousand people died and more than a million homeless. The incumbent president was General Kjell Laugerud Garcia and was the one who did his best to lift the country. (For military years were the leaders of the nation, sometimes triumvirate derived these dark years of fighting against guerrillas and often little or no press freedom. But that's another story
still much more complicated than told here.)
Source: Stardemia. Natural Disaster Photos
The duration of this earthquake was 30 to 40 seconds, having a first vertical movement followed one horizontal. The movement was such that many people could not get out of bed, it was at night when it happened, and others threw them to the floor.
The seismic event had a magnitude of 7.5 on Richter scale, as mentioned before, as the energy released, which is calculated from the seismic energy ratio
Gutenberg-Richter:
Log E = 11.8 + 1.5M
where M is the Richter magnitude and E is in ergs. The result is the order of 23 ergs. Also estimated the speed of horizontal movement in 19.3 cm / s, to how you felt in the capital since the failure. The disruption caused was more than 250km in length. (USGS)
About
energy equivalent to the explosion of 2 000 tons of dynamite.
The Motagua fault, which crosses 80% of Guatemalan territory was the one that caused the earthquake. The epicenter was located 150 kilometers northwest of the city, near Gualán, Zacapa and hypocenter at a depth of approximately 5 km.
long day, people sat on the sidewalk, cold, scared. Some people who had escaped, were killed when the second strong earthquake occurred at 3:30, when they returned home to try to get some valuables, or others who had been trapped. At that time, ya el pueblo de Guatemala se había dado a la tarea de rescatar a los miles de heridos que habían quedado soterrados. El trabajo fue arduo las ambulancias no se daban a vasto y los hospitales habían rebasado su capacidad. Civiles, bomberos y miembros del Ejército se organizaron en brigadas de rescate, y con palas, piochas y azadones, se dedicaron a descombrar y buscar sobrevivientes entre las ruinas y los montones de piedras y adobe que habían quedado sobre las calles de la ciudad principal.
En toda Guatemala el tiempo era bueno y seco en ese período del año, y duraría así tres meses más. Quedaban todavía tres semanas un poco frías, causantes cada año de gripe, el terremoto agravó esas afecciones lung, and he had to sleep outside.
The harvest was already done and there was no reason to fear a famine, despite rumors that spread about risks of epidemics due to water pollution, there was no, the road network was disrupted, in particular the Atlantic
Mexico, United States, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile and Peru were the first to arrive to help the country.
76000 dead and 23000 wounded was the price that the earthquake took.
Sadness invaded the villages, with the arrival of winter rains and lack of sunshine did really sad lives of people within the republic.
there is very difficult for a Guatemalan who has not experienced a strong earthquake, is that Guatemala is located in an area of \u200b\u200bconstant seismic activity, and this coupled with the lack of preventive education, mean that natural disasters are of larger scale.
Today, the country has special institutions for this type of disaster and we know the typical advice of what to do during an earthquake but nevertheless, Guatemala is not ready for an earthquake, the buildings are not suitable , is constructed without prior studies and in places of risk, not promote first aid courses and almost nobody takes home a kit. "Small" details that could save your life in the future.
Clippings earthquake in Guatemala
Wednesday June 13, 2007. Http://impreso.elnuevodiario.com.ni/2007/06/13/ultimahora/3634
Monday April 14, 2008.
http://www.metmex.net/2008/04/14/sismo-en-guatemala-14-abril-2008/
Sunday May 3, 2009.
http://www.eleconomista.es/flash/noticias/1214732/05/09/Se-registra-un-terremoto-de-magnitud-61-en-Guatemala-.html
Monday, June 8 2009.
http://www.prensa-latina.cu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=87926&Itemid=2
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