The Haiti Earthquake: Engineering and Human Perspectives The year 2016 marked six years since the Haiti Earthquake occurred. The 2010 Haiti earthquake led to the loss of over 200,000 lives. It further led to the displacement of millions of people. There was further destruction of thousands of properties. Essentially, the earthquake was a major catastrophe. The Earthquake which is projected to have had a magnitude of 7.0 Mw took place on 12th January, 2010. The Earthquake was followed by over 30 aftershocks which exacerbated the already deplorable situation. An earthquake can be defined as a major tremor on the surface of the Earth. When earthquakes occur, the ground shakes, opens up to swallow structures that are erected on the surface
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The North American Plate slid past the Caribbean Plate at an angle that led to friction. The friction resulted in increased pressure within the Earth’s crust. When the pressure was released, in form of seismic waves, it resulted in the deadly earthquake. The earthquake caused significant damage to property in Haiti. It is estimated that the earthquake led to the collapse of over 30,000 commercial buildings (BBC n.p.). Furthermore, hospitals and other socially inclined institutions collapsed. An airport and the countries major clothing industry were also affected by the earthquake (BBC n.p.). This greatly negated the economy of Haiti. The country had to rely on foreign aid in order to sustain its citizens as all productive activities were …show more content…
Nonetheless, the earthquake led to the flattening of these hills. The building tumbled down and there was a restructuring of the floor of the earth in this region. Whereas initially the slope had been steep along the residential areas, after the earthquake steep slopes were either flattened or rendered gentler than they had been previously. On the ecological front, the earthquake exacerbated Haiti’s water problem. The earthquake led to the collapse of many buildings. Some debris fell into the water system which made the affected pipes functionless and the water dangerous to human health. Likewise, the earthquake increased the already deplorable forestation condition in Haiti. The country had in the past been grappling with deforestation which greatly affects the atmosphere (U.S. Department of State n.p.). Many trees fell as a result of the earthquake. The earthquake further led to the soil erosion. This greatly affects the fertility of the lands surrounding the affected regions in Haiti. Conclusively, geological research provides an avenue through which occurrences of earthquakes, such as the Haiti earthquake, can be controlled. Through the study of earthquakes such as the Haiti earthquakes, scientists can identify ways through which such occurrences can be mitigated. Furthermore, through geological research, scientists are able to predict similar
The North American Plate slid past the Caribbean Plate at an angle that led to friction. The friction resulted in increased pressure within the Earth’s crust. When the pressure was released, in form of seismic waves, it resulted in the deadly earthquake. The earthquake caused significant damage to property in Haiti. It is estimated that the earthquake led to the collapse of over 30,000 commercial buildings (BBC n.p.). Furthermore, hospitals and other socially inclined institutions collapsed. An airport and the countries major clothing industry were also affected by the earthquake (BBC n.p.). This greatly negated the economy of Haiti. The country had to rely on foreign aid in order to sustain its citizens as all productive activities were …show more content…
Nonetheless, the earthquake led to the flattening of these hills. The building tumbled down and there was a restructuring of the floor of the earth in this region. Whereas initially the slope had been steep along the residential areas, after the earthquake steep slopes were either flattened or rendered gentler than they had been previously. On the ecological front, the earthquake exacerbated Haiti’s water problem. The earthquake led to the collapse of many buildings. Some debris fell into the water system which made the affected pipes functionless and the water dangerous to human health. Likewise, the earthquake increased the already deplorable forestation condition in Haiti. The country had in the past been grappling with deforestation which greatly affects the atmosphere (U.S. Department of State n.p.). Many trees fell as a result of the earthquake. The earthquake further led to the soil erosion. This greatly affects the fertility of the lands surrounding the affected regions in Haiti. Conclusively, geological research provides an avenue through which occurrences of earthquakes, such as the Haiti earthquake, can be controlled. Through the study of earthquakes such as the Haiti earthquakes, scientists can identify ways through which such occurrences can be mitigated. Furthermore, through geological research, scientists are able to predict similar