Scientists Return to Haiti to Assess Possibility of Another Major Quake
Geoscientists will collect crucial data for future hazard assessment
A team funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) is returning to Haiti this week to investigate the cause of the January 12, magnitude 7 earthquake there.
The geologists will collect crucial data to assess whether the quake could trigger another major event to the east or west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital.
Eric Calais, a Purdue University geophysicist leading the team, said that most aftershocks occur within weeks of the initial quake and that the team urgently needs to get to the site to make a detailed assessment before crucial geological information disappears.
“The big question is instead of small aftershocks, could there be a bigger earthquake coming,” Calais said. “There are many historical examples of an initial earthquake triggering an even larger one along the same or nearby faults. We are concerned for the Dominican Republic, as our preliminary models show that the continuation of the fault in this area is loaded.”
In Haiti, areas in red are closer to rupture; grey circles show the locations of aftershocks.
Credit: Purdue University/Eric Calais
http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=116282&WT.mc_id=USNSF_51
