A space view of the earthquake in Chile. - Photo courtesy of NASA Goddard
Thursday, April 29, 2010 By Laura Kraisinger, Student Interest Editor
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In 2010, the world has
experienced a multitude of natural disasters including a new monthly
trend, powerful earthquakes. On January 13th,
a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti. The devastating quake turned
the world’s focus to the tiny nation, and rightfully so, as the Haitian
quake has had the highest death toll this year, with estimates as high
as 300,000 casualties. A month later, on February 27th,
an even stronger earthquake, measuring an 8.8 on the Richter scale,
struck Chile. However, because Chile has been subjected to strong
earthquakes in the past, the country was more prepared than Haiti and
strict building codes helped to keep the death toll to around 700
victims, a small number compared to the life lost in Haiti. When a 6.4
magnitude quake hit Taiwan on March 3rd,
there were no casualties, and only eight injuries due to falling
debris. In Indonesia a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck on April 6th,
however there were no deaths or injuries reported, despite the
earthquake having a stronger magnitude than the quake in Haiti. On
April 14th, yet another massive earthquake struck western China, with a 7.1 magnitude according to the New York Times. The earthquake killed at least 400 people, and injured 10,000 others.
Papua New Guinea was the victim of the most recent earthquake, a 6.5
magnitude quake west of the island province of Bougainville.
With so many devastating quakes happening around the globe, the
world has certainly turned its focus to the countries experiencing
disaster. To many people, it seems as though there have been more
earthquakes in 2010 than ever before, and this may not actually be an
exaggeration. Worldwide, in 2010 there have already been a total of
4,003 earthquakes in less than four months. In 2009, there were 14,791
earthquakes over the course of the entire year. When looking at the
death tolls as a result of these earthquakes, the numbers are even more
drastically increased according to the US Geological Survey. In 200,
there were only 213 estimated deaths as a result of earthquakes,
then in 2009, earthquakes resulted in 1787 recorded deaths. In 2010
there have already been 223,140 official recorded deaths as a result of
earthquakes, not including the unidentified bodies and missing persons
in countries such as Haiti, or the most recent deaths in China.
A possible source of natural disasters of which scientists are
currently aware is the Ring of Fire. The Ring of Fire is a region that
reaches from New Zealand, along the eastern edge of Asia, north across
the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, and south along the coast of North and
South America that is composed of over 75% of the world’s active and
dormant volcanoes. This area is known for being the center of frequent
earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in the past, and is currently
active. The countries located in the Ring of Fire are especially
susceptible to experiencing powerful earthquakes, similar to the
countries located on fault lines where the earth’s tectonic plates are
in motion.
Catastrophes were
unfortunately not only a result of earthquakes this year. A deadly
storm system known as Xynthia hit Portugal, Spain, and France February
28, 2010 and resulted in over 60 deaths as a result of flash flooding
and strong winds as high as 108 miles per hour. In France, one million
people were left without power in the wake of the storm. The strong
winds spread to The Netherlands, northern Germany, and Denmark, and
snow fell on the northern side of the storm across southern Sweden. In
Iceland, a volcano exploded underneath a glacier on April 14th, forcing
around 800 people to evacuate their homes due to flood risks and debris
that closed roads in the area. This is the second time in less than a
month that the volcano has erupted. The eruption also caused a cloud
of volcanic ash to form over Europe, closing airspace in the United
Kingdom due to the danger.
Closer to home, a deadly storm struck Scarsdale, New York on March 14,
2010, killing six people, injuring others, and causing extensive
damage. The rain levels were so high that residents of New Jersey were
forced to evacuate their homes. Flooding and lack of power caused
school cancellations as Long Island dealt with the impact of the
storm. What may be surprising is that hurricane season has not even
actually begun; the official Atlantic hurricane season lasts from June
1 to November 30. Washington D.C. also witnessed blizzards in 2010
that set records for the most snow in a winter for the region. This
year 54.9 inches fell on Reagan National Airport, breaking the 1899
record of 54.4 inches according to the National Weather Service. On
April 26th, a 97-mile long tornado path touched
down from Tallulah, Louisiana to Durant Mississippi. The tornado
reached up to 1.75 miles wide, and winds reached up for 170 miles per
hour, damaging over 100 homes in the area. In Mississippi, five deaths
were recorded, including a baby and two other children.
Many of these tragedies left destruction in their wake, and the
devastation witnessed by these countries should continue to be in the
thoughts and prayers of the world. Relief efforts have been extensive
in Haiti, however the country will continue to need significant aid in
order to get back on its feet. As a school, Stone Ridge has already
helped to raise money to donate to the Haiti earthquake relief fund. Students individually have donated money various ways, including the
new-age method of donating to the Red Cross, text messaging “Haiti” to
90999. Thanks to the Council of Fashion Designers of America,
retailers including Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue now
carry Fashion for Haiti t-shirts designed by Peter Arnell boasting the
words: "to Haiti with love - hope, help, heal, Haiti." 100% of proceeds
benefit the Clinton Bush Haiti fund, and as they sell for a reasonable
$25, the tees are a great way for teens to donate to and raise
awareness for a great cause.