Earthquakes

    Last week I touched a little on earthquakes in Venezuela and how being in both the South American and Caribbean plates are causing these earthquakes. It is mostly the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, that is exposed to high seismic hazard. The most catastrophic earthquake occurred on March 26, 1812, on the Bocono fault system (see map of intensities above). This earthquake caused destruction in both Merida and Caracas, and claimed an estimated 15-20,000 lives. After 1812, there were no destructive earthquakes again until 1853, when the city of Cumana suffered a Tsunami caused by an earthquake. Thankfully, there were no fatalities however there was a lot of destruction to the city. 

                                            *study results suggest that at least three seismic events had produced surface ruptures

    On July 29, 1967, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake caused widespread damage to the northern coastal area of Venezuela and to the Caracas Valley, so the Venezuelan Government established the "Presidential Earthquake Commission". This commission coordinated the efforts to study the after-effects of the earthquake. The U.S Geological Survey conducted a seismological field study in the same area to study and compare the area that had severe, moderate, and no damage. The July 1967 earthquake left 1,536 injured and about 300 dead. There were $50–140 million worth of property damage as well. Venezuela has seismic building codes in place to ensure safety and they've included important parameters like the sedimentary thickness to basement and basin geometry and how different zones require a different approach, for example, to adjust the seismic design of buildings to the different scenarios within the city. 

 Earthquakes are inevitable, but one can be prepared. The Red Cross is trained to prepare for natural disaster preparedness and response in the event of a natural disaster. One of the best ways I believe is to be sure your home/building is up to proper seismic code. Having a plan in place in your home is important to discuss with your family. You can also check out Volcano Discovery to find out more about earthquakes both old and new. I find this site the easiest to navigate.

file:///C:/Users/ahuse/Downloads/3358.pdf

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590061719300602

https://www.worlddata.info/america/venezuela/tsunamis