Over
900,000 earthquakes occur worldwide each year. Fortunately, the vast
majority of them are magnitude 2.5 or less, and great earthquakes
(magnitude 8.0 or more) only happen about once every 5 to 10 years. Not
anymore. Global warming continues to raise the sea level causing strain
on the earth's crust. Plates inevitably and unpredictably move along
their faultlines or fissures under such tremendous pressure resulting in more frequent, and more severe earthquakes.
Living with Nature - School on Blog
Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Ms Melly C Tenorio
738 DZRB AM, 8 to 9 evening class Mon to Fri
Five Major Earthquakes in a Row (April 13 to 18, 2016)
- Zamboanga del Norte April 14, 2016 (6.0)
- Myanmar earthquake April 13 and 15 (7.0 - 7.8)
- Southern Japan April 15, 2016 (7.0)
- Ecuador Earthquake April 16, 2016 (7.8)
- Tonga, April 18, 2016 (6.1)
Earthquake intensity is geometrical. Five earthquakes which took place in a span of one week (Myanmar, Zamboanga del Norte, Southern Japan, Ecuador, and lately Tonga, fall under the deadly range of 6 to 8.
----------------------------------------The Fukoshima earthquake of April 11, 2011 which triggered a super tsunami killing thousands across its path was measured about 9 and 10. In Japan alone there were 15,894 deaths, 6,152 injured, and 2,562 people missing, as well as 228,863 people living away from their home in either temporary housing or due to permanent relocation. The World Bank's estimated economic cost was US$235 billion, making it the costliest natural disaster in world history. ----------------------------------------
Earthquake measuring 6.9 in magnitude jolts Myanmar, tremors felt in parts of India
- Make sure you have a fire extinguisher, first aid kit, a battery-powered radio, a flashlight, and extra batteries at home.
- Learn first aid.
- Learn how to turn off the gas, water, and electricity.
- Make up a plan of where to meet your family after an earthquake.
- Don't leave heavy objects on shelves (they'll fall during a quake).
- Anchor heavy furniture, cupboards, and appliances to the walls or floor.
- Learn the earthquake plan at your school or workplace.
What to Do During an Earthquake
- Stay calm! If you're indoors, stay inside. If you're outside, stay outside.
- If you're indoors, stand against a wall near the center of the building, stand in a doorway, or crawl under heavy furniture (a desk or table). Stay away from windows and outside doors.
- If you're outdoors, stay in the open away from power lines or anything that might fall. Stay away from buildings (stuff might fall off the building or the building could fall on you).
- Don't use matches, candles, or any flame. Broken gas lines and fire don't mix.
- If you're in a car, stop the car and stay inside the car until the earthquake stops.
- Don't use elevators (they'll probably get stuck anyway).
What to Do After an Earthquake
- Check yourself and others for injuries. Provide first aid for anyone who needs it.
- Check water, gas, and electric lines for damage. If any are damaged, shut off the valves. Check for the smell of gas. If you smell it, open all the windows and doors, leave immediately, and report it to the authorities (use someone else's phone).
- Turn on the radio. Don't use the phone unless it's an emergency.
- Stay out of damaged buildings.
- Be careful around broken glass and debris. Wear boots or sturdy shoes to keep from cutting your feet.
- Be careful of chimneys (they may fall on you).
- Stay away from beaches. Tsunamis and seiches sometimes hit after the ground has stopped shaking.
- Stay away from damaged areas.
- If you're at school or work, follow the emergency plan or the instructions of the person in charge.
- Expect aftershocks.
- Extend assistance without delay. Join rescue and medical teams.
- Assist in the emergency operations.
- Donate, send fastest means, preferably through reliable organizations.
- Help defuse fear and anxiety, boost morale and restore hope among families of victims and children.
- Use social media to connect and reach out. Be part of a continuing rehabilitation.
Tonga Earthquake 6.1 April 18, 2016
----------------------------------------
Nepal Earthquake April 25, 2015 photos from the Internet
Aftermath of 7.8 earthquake in Nepal, April 25, 2015
There
were more than 100 aftershocks that have occurred since the magnitude
7.8 earthquake in Nepal on April 25, 2015. The largest aftershock is a
magnitude 7.3 on May 12, 2015
Acknowledgement: Internet photos. At least 3,617 people are now known to have died in a massive earthquake which hit Nepal on Saturday, police say. More than 6,500 people have been injured, according to the National Emergency Operation Centre. Dozens of people are also reported to have been killed in neighbouring China and India. More than 200 climbers have been rescued around Mount Everest, which was struck by deadly avalanches in the 7.8-magnitude quake.
Vast tent cities have sprung up in Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, for those displaced or afraid to return to their homes as strong aftershocks continued. Thousands spent Sunday night - their second night - outside.Officials have warned that the number of casualties could rise as rescue teams reach remote mountainous areas of western Nepal. Initial reports suggest that many communities, especially those close to mountainsides, suffered significant quake damage. BBC.
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Animals are uneasy before an earthquake strikes
Paco fish at home
For three consecutive days our Paco and Hito (catfish) in our garden ponds refused to eat, and were uneasy as if looking for a way to get out of their confinement. All of a sudden I felt they were no longer tame. They were jittery and nervous. Were they telling me of something?
I thought it
was the water getting foul with an over growth of green algae. But it
was not. I changed their food with another brand. And feed them at any
opportunity. Still they didn't respond. I felt sorry for them if they
would inevitably end up on the grill. Which my children and I adamantly
decided. Our hito, five of them, have been our pet for some three
years now, while our paco, ten for them, make easily one kilo each.
This is the expertise of old folks, and scientists agree with them to a certain extent based on scientific evidences.
Then
a flash news came. Japan was hit by the worst earthquake in living
memory with an intensity up to 9.0 - so strong it made the earth's
rotation faster, and the Japan plate to move.
I
remember when Chile was hit by an 8.0 earthquake (which increased the
tilt of the earth), our hito which were a year old then, exhibited the
same behavior as they did before the Japan earthquake.
Can
animals - and other living things for that matter - predict the coming
of an earthquake? I know there are organisms that warn us of a coming
rain (hovering horde of dragonflies), or flood (earthworm abandoning
their burrows and moving to higher ground - PHOTO). A colony of ants on the
move with their young and eggs means siyam-siyam (nepnep Ilk) has
arrived. This is characterized by nine days of continuous rain,
followed by another nine with a respite of good weather in between.
Even plants warn us of a coming drought, such as the kapok when it is
heavily laden with pods.
This is the expertise of old folks, and scientists agree with them to a certain extent based on scientific evidences.
Animals
are sensitive to the vibrations preceding an earthquake. They perceive
the small numerous crackling of the earth before the final break
(tectonic), which is the earthquake. As a means of self-preservation
they try to escape from stables and pens, seek shelter, run to higher
grounds, or simply escape to areas far from the source of the impending
earthquake.
Snakes come out of
their abode, reptiles move away from the water, horses neigh and kick
around, elephants seem to defy the command of their masters (like in the
case of the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka). We humans can only detect such
minute movements on our inventions such as the Richter Scale.
• When jellyfish come to the surface of the sea there is an earthquake or tsunami coming - PHOTO. It is when the epicenter of an earthquake occurs under the sea that tsunami may follow. Marine animals as well as land animals can detect minute tremors preceding an earthquake. Because of this they seek for safe areas usually moving upward shallower waters. (NOTE: Such vibrations are generally imperceptible to humans. They are monitored by his invention, the Seismograph, instead.)
• When cockroaches are flying about, there are plenty of fish to catch. This is not limited to cockroaches (PHOTO). Other insects do swarm at certain stages or seasons of the year. For example, termites swarm at the onset of the heavy rains (monsoon or habagat); honeybees swarm when the queen bee dies, or when a new queen is produced from an old hive. Gnats or gamu-gamu swarm when their population shoot up due to freedom from predators. Locusts coalesce and migrate if driven by drought that destroys their source of food. Fish are abundant when there are plenty of insects since insects constitute their main food.
• Sporadic and massive brush fire accompanies dry spell or predicts the coming of the El Niño phenomenon. Usually it is at the end of the rainy season that grasses like talahib (Saccharum officinarum) and cogon (Imperata cylindrica) reach the end of their life cycle. In the absence of subsequent rains, these ignite into brush fire, so bad in certain cases that even trees and whole forest burn. Worst scenarios are forest fires as what happen in Australia last 2006, and Indonesia in 2000, the latter sending smoke as far as the Philippines.
Let's
heed the biological signals of animals, which contributed to their
fitness to survive evolution - and become part of our living world.
Indeed they are living sentinels of the dangers we face. ~
Reference: Living with Nature, AV Rotor
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