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Recent Earthquakes
It is possible to provide several examples of earthquakes that took place during the past six months. For example, one can mention the Iquique earthquake that took place on 1 April, 2014. It occurred on the western coast of Chile. The estimations indicate that its magnitude was 8.2. This event can be described as a megathrust earthquake since it occurred at the plate boundary.
This natural phenomenon occurs at the time when tectonic plate is subducted by another one. Overall, subduction is the cause of earthquakes in many areas. One should also mention that this event did not result in catastrophic effects. It is possible to compare this earthquake with the one that happened in Haiti on January 12, 2010. One should note that the Haitia earthquake had a magnitude of 7.0.
This event was caused by the thrust fault. Nevertheless, it took place at a depth of 10 kilometers, and it led to considerable ground shaking (Lutgens and Tarbuck 190). In turn, the depth of the Iquique earthquake was 20 kilometers, and its impact was less palpable. This difference in depth is the main reasons why the effects of the Haiti earthquake were much more significant (Lutgens and Tarbuck 190).
In particular, more than 100.000 people died as a result of this earthquake. Additionally, the effects of the Haiti earthquake were so disastrous due to blatant violations of construction norms in Haiti (Lutgens and Tarbuck 190). As a result, the impact of this event was intensified. These are some of the details that can be identified.
On the whole, this comparison indicates that the effects of an earthquake depend on a various factors and some of them can be controlled by people. In this case, one should pay attention to the development of infrastructure and construction rules that should be properly enforced by the government. This is one of the points that can be made.
Living near an active faultline or an active volcano?
Overall, I would prefer to live near an active fault-line, rather than an active volcano, provided that I need to make a choice. In my opinion, the effects of volcano eruption are more dangerous than earthquakes. There are several aspects that should be distinguished. First of all, ash and hot gases are emitted as a result of eruption (Lutgens and Tarbuck 190).
As a rule, they are very dangerous. Additionally, it is possible to speak about the risk of acid rains. Very often, they pose a danger to skin of a human being; moreover, they can significantly impair the quality of drinking water (Cooper 78). Admittedly, the earthquakes also pose considerable risks to peoples lives (Cooper 78).
For example, one can speak about considerable threat of tsunamis, floods, fires, and other disasters that can take the lives of many people. Nevertheless, in many cases, the dangers are increased due to the lack of safety precautions. Moreover, a community can respond to these risks. In turn, the risk of volcano eruptions cannot be effectively mitigated with the help of existing technologies. This is one of the main differences that should be taken into account.
Admittedly, the effects of natural disasters may depend on various environmental and infrastructural factors. Nevertheless, one should not expose oneself to the risks of volcano eruption since its effects cannot be controlled. This is one of the arguments that can be put forward.
Work Cited
Cooper, Malcolm. Volcano and Geothermal Tourism: Sustainable Geo-Resources for Leisure and Recreation, New York: Taylor & Francis, 2010. Print.
Lutgens, Frederick, and Edward Tarbuck. Foundations of Earth Science, New York: Prentice Hall, 2014. Print.
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