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Guatemala is a country where geological features are sensitive to suffer earthquakes. Here are located more than 10 volcanoes, many of them active. Also, three tectonic plates move into the territory. These "properties" result in earthquakes of considerable magnitude and destruction, most recently in 1976, and some feel that one of importance will occur at an interval of 50 years. Although it is extremely difficult to Guatemala and brief descriptions of seismic activity in terms of history and origin, because of its volcanoes and tectonic plates I try to do here is not without sacrificing even more detailed and important, so we also advise the reader to review the literature used and more. Volcanoes
This country has 37 volcanoes (Prahl and Suarez, 1989), several of them active. Of dormant volcanoes, one of the most important for their majestic beauty is the Agua volcano, at an altitude of 3766 meters above sea level (asl). With regard to assets stands Pacaya and Fuego volcano. The Pacaya volcano has a height of 2550 (m), is common to see smoke rising from the craters (has two), by the way, the author of these lines has already raised to the volcano, my friends can see some pictures in picasa. This volcano is active, constantly spewing smoke. Even near the crater can feel the steam emanating from some reddish stones. I put one of the photos taken from a house in the capital, which are the Agua, Fuego and Acatenango, as well as outgoing Fire smoke.
The Volcano of Fire, 3763 m, is the most active not only in Guatemala but in Central America, as its name might suggest Cakchiquel "Chigaga" which means "where is the fire." Smoking constantly, often throwing ashes, and recorded eruptions in 1974 and in July 2007. It is said that the ejection of ash has come to Honduras and El Salvador. Acatenango volcano, with a height of 3976 meters and most of the country, had erupted in 1972.
Just over 8 years I remember a fear of eruption, although "only" threw ash and earthquakes around the volcano. At that time, the ash covered the patio of my house at that time, a little area of \u200b\u200b10x15 square meters.
Seismic Considerations The existence of volcanoes is related to the friction between continental plates and the pressure between these is generated. In Central America the runs the Sierra Madre, the complex of mountains and volcanoes, Guatemala characterizing details.
Guatemala has three areas that generate earthquakes. High level seismic Benioff zone is hosted toward the northeast caused by the collision of the Cocos Plate against and beneath the Caribbean plate (also called Motagua fault) caused the 1976 earthquake. The second is over the hill. The third is the fault that bisects the country from east to west.
Note the importance of the fault that caused the earthquake of 1976 to U.S. researchers lies in its similarity to the San Andreas fault, California.
Looking globally, Guatemala is in the Ring of Fire, a whole line of friction between the plates, many subduction.
historical earthquakes since the English conquest and construction, the first earthquake happen in 1526. In 1541 another earthquake occurs, coupled with two days of rains that caused mudslides, destroyed the capital, forcing its relocation. Notably, the widow of Pedro de Alvarado, conqueror of Guatemala sent by Cortez, dies. The equity in your new location back to suffer several earthquakes. There are at least 28 earthquakes as such, even earthquakes.
In 1917-1918 the first strong earthquake occurs the twentieth century. It was actually a string of earthquakes, including four strong and ultimately destructive. First was recorded November 17, 1917. On December 25, 1917, shortly after 10pm start movements that begin to destroy the capital, was quiet at dawn. The second major case on 29 December. On January 3 occurs the third strongest, and the last case on 24 January 1918. A month of earthquakes that destroyed the country. Besides earthquakes are "local" by fault motion.
Earthquake of 1976 The last major earthquake in Guatemala occurred on February 4, 1976. On that occasion 17 of 22 departments ("department" is the equivalent of "region" in Chile) suffered considerable destruction. Registered a magnitude of 7.5 degrees on the Richter scale. There was a rupture area of \u200b\u200babout 300km, and a shift of 325cm, the average is 100cm. (USGS)
About 25 thousand people died and more than a million homeless. The incumbent president was General Kjell Laugerud Garcia and was the one who did his best to lift the country. (For many years the military were the leaders of the nation, sometimes triumvirate derived these dark years of fighting against guerrillas and often little or no press freedom. But that is another still much more complicated story than told here.)
The duration of this earthquake was 30 to 40 seconds, having a first vertical movement followed by one horizontal. The movement was such that many people could not get out of bed, it was at night when it happened, and others threw them to the floor.
The seismic event had a magnitude of 7.5 on Richter scale, as mentioned before, as the energy released, which is calculated from the ratio of seismic energy from Gutenberg-Richter:
Log E = 11.8 +
1.5M where M is the Richter magnitude and E is in ergs. The result is the order of 23 ergs. Also estimated the speed of horizontal movement in 19.3 cm / s, to how you felt in the capital since the failure. The disruption caused was more than 250km in length. (USGS)
(new) site The U.S. Geological Survey
can be found, as well as earthquake information, images from photographs of earthquake damage to details of the country. Some images of the site, and is also found in the document referred to are:
1. The failure across a football field
2. Hotel Terminal
3. Detail of tectonic plates on which Guatemala is
(Conclusions)
Guatemala is a country where three tectonic plates collide, and this geography, the Sierra Madre was born and home to volcanoes and mountains. Plate tectonics and volcanoes seismic detection means for Guatemala. In the last half century there have been eruptions and earthquakes, in addition to the continuous earthquakes needed to release energy. It is believed that there could be a movement of considerable magnitude before 2030. If you reproduce what happened in the twentieth century, we would have one around 2015, in just 9 years.
Many of us obviously have not lived one, but few of us who care about it. The economic situation may limit the individual preparation. We can not ignore the seismic nature of the country, and therefore we can not dismiss the preparation. As
comment, except I do not believe in astrology of any kind, the Mayans predicted the end of the world in 2012. It is curious that many predict this year also the global disaster by asteroids or similar. Although you might think also in the end as the world or Maya territory, a good portion, Guatemala.
References.
Gonzalez, Marcelino and Chaclán, Joseph. Earthquakes in Guatemala 1524-1942. Special Publication. 1998, University of San Carlos de Guatemala, Directorate General Research, University Research Program in History. 76
Earthquake in Guatemala. (Incredibly, this magazine does not include many details of your home despite the good graphics and data content)
The Guatemalan Earthquake of February 4, 1976, a preliminary report . Geological survey professional paper 1002. U.S. Geological Survey. April, 1976. Magazine
D. No. 194, March 23, 2008.
Sprahl, Carlos, and Suarez, Miguel. Guide to the volcanoes of Guatemala. 1989
Ring of Fire, Wikipedia.