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 Colombian Earthquake 1999

On Monday, 25 January 1999, an Earthquake of magnitude 6.2 struck Armenia, Colombia.

JANUARY 25, 1999. ... EARTHQUAKE DISASTER PREVENTION by QUINDÍO RISARALDA TOLIMA NATURAL EARTHQUAKE SEISMOLOGY

The convergence of the Nazca, Cocos, and Pacific plates has been a well known reason for the high seismic risk in this area. This event occurred within a system of intraplate faults parallel to the Andes Mountains passing northeast through Colombia. The cause of the plate movement is due to strike-slip faults between the Andes Mountains and the Romeral Fault System. A strike-slip fault occurs as a result of two plates moving against each other, thus building up tension. The tension is often released in sudden and violent jerks. This causes earthquakes to happen.

strike-slip fault

The earthquake hit Colombia's coffee-growing region, and toppled tower blocks, hotels, and historic churches. Most of these buildings that collapsed were old and poorly constructed, built before 1984.

The initial number of casualties of the quake was about 1000. Subsequently, including the victims of the aftershocks, riots and robberies, diseases and the missing persons, the total number of casualties was estimated near to 3900. As there were no forensic services, many of the bodies could not be recognized and were buried in common tombs.

Colombian authorities imposed a dawn-till-dusk curfew after the earthquake, to allow rescue workers to work undisturbed. The Colombian president Andres Pastrana postponed a trip to Germany to attend a World Bank meeting to view the destruction himself. He later had to send soldiers to the affected area to restore order. In January 2002, the new community of El Cantaro was finished.

Earthquakes are disastrous and can cause many lives within seconds. Governments of earthquake-prone areas should ensure building and construction companies adhere to safety regulations laid to avoid shoddy buildings and ensure public education about earthquakes. Investment in technologies is also necessary to evacuate people of approaching danger.

Photo Gallery

all that is left of this man's house

Bibliography

Websites

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_Armenia,_Colombia_earthquake#Causes, extracted 17 Feb 2010

- http://library.thinkquest.org/C003603/english/earthquakes/prevention.shtml, extracted 17 Feb 2010

- http://www.unal.edu.co/geociencias/PDF/9/06-The%20Romeral%20Fault.pdf, extracted 17 Feb 2010
- http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Research/RMS/july2000/Papers/scawthorn.pdf, extracted 17 Feb 2010
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fault_(geology)#Strike-slip_faults, extracted 17 Feb 2010
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/25/newsid_2506000/2506407.stm, extracted 17 Feb 2010
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/265559.stm, extracted 17 Feb 2010

Videos:

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yy0ZBIi3Fpw, extracted 17 Feb 2010

Photos:

- http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1141/1490790158_48b7866a97.jpg, extracted 17 Feb 2010

- http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1054/1490787316_63bc2dc3f4.jpg, extracted 17 Feb 2010

- http://www.bestanimations.com/ extracted 17 Feb 2010
- http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eq_depot/1999/eq_990125/neic_0125.jpg, extracted 17 Feb 2010
- http://epsc.wustl.edu/seismology/BSOBS/data_figures/colombia.jpg, extracted 17 Feb 2010