Earthquake Haiti 2010: Analytical Essay

Overview of the event:

Haiti is a poor city; however, it’s better known for its frequent and destructive earthquakes. Earthquakes are caused by the movement and tension between the tectonic plates. In this scenario, Haiti lays in between the Caribbean and North American tectonic plates, two major fault lines. The Haiti earthquake is one of the most destructive earthquakes ever recorded. It had a magnitude of 7.0 and an estimated death toll of 316,000. It also had an aftershock of 4.5 magnitudes and caused a tsunami, which killed another 200,000 people. This was a cataclysmic event leading to the homelessness of over 10 million people. The epicentre of the earthquake damaged about 90% of buildings and spanned for about 27,200 square kilometres. Haiti had no preventative measures the earthquake, however, as the city rebuilds, architects are going to make a different base for each building making it about more durable throughout an earthquake. Many seismologists say that the Haiti earthquake couldn’t have been predicted, however, this earthquake has allowed scientists to progress in the identification of areas where earthquakes may strike.

Impacts:

Economical:

The Haiti earthquake causing 15 billion dollars of economic damage. It destroyed the surrounding buildings and made a wasteland of the already poor area. It also ruined many work opportunities for “desk jobs”, however, there would be many jobs including electricians and construction workers. Many areas of significance would’ve been damaged, if not destroyed, thus decreasing the amount of tourism around the local area.

Social:

Many families have torn apart due to this event, this caused there to be a scarcity of children to take care of Haiti in our generation. Also, the parent who have lost their children, are unlikely to produce another. Thus, leaving the next generation, to the ones who don’t want a child.

Environmental:

Many buildings would have fallen onto the ground below, causing irreversible damage to the buildings. As well as that, the asphalt would have numerous cracks and holes on it. And finally, the three-meter-tall tsunami, caused by the earthquake, would’ve caused devastating soil degradation, and all fallen debris would be taken into the ocean. The tsunami reached 600 metres inland, hence removing all the nutrients in the soil, making farming difficult for a long time.

Conclusion:

The Haiti earthquake caused many geomorphic changes to the city of Haiti. The earthquake itself caused many ruptures in the ground, produce a possible chance for a future pothole to occur. Once the tsunami hit the land, it would’ve caused the land to erode. Haiti has a serious risk of earthquakes in the near future due to it being an active geological site in the world. It is (arguably) positioned on the edge of the ring of fire, thus giving it a frequent earthquake risk.

Bibliography:

1. https://phys.org/news/2016-01-years-devastating-haiti-quake-high.html
2. https://www.boulderweekly.com/legacy/earthtalk/environmental-impacts-of-the-haiti-earthquake/
3. https://www.gtansw.org.au/files/geog_bulletin/2018/1_2018/05_GTANSW%20Bulletin%20Issue%201%202018_Earthquakes.pdf
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_2010_Haiti_earthquake
5. https://www.mercycorps.org/articles/haiti/5-years-after-quake-journey-relief-recovery