2020 brought a record season of hurricanes in the Atlantic, many life-threatening wildfires and many earthquakes strong enough to remind humanity of the power of tectonic plates
Some of these disasters were part of the geological cycle; others were aided by man-made climate change.
In this regard, Live Science published a report reminding us of the ways in which the Earth has shown its anger in 2020:
One of the biggest earthquakes this year, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake, hit the Caribbean on January 28, 2020. The earthquake struck 122 kilometers northwest of Lucia, Jamaica and southern Cuba. According to USA Today, no one died, but felt shaken in places as far away as Miami and parts of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Caribbean Earthquake 2020
The area where the earthquake struck is located on the border between North America and the Caribbean. Between late 2019 and early 2020, it was an active time on the plate, with Puerto Rico experiencing a series of earthquakes more severe than anything seen since 1918, Live Science reported.
Tal Volcano Eruption
On January 12, the Tal volcano on the Philippine island of Luzon erupted dramatically, sending clouds of ash to the sky. The eruption soon intensified, resulting in steam plumes and ash up to 14 km high. It was the first time the volcano had erupted in 40 years. When ash clouds drifted more than 62 km north, residents living near the volcano were forced to evacuate.
The Manila Bulletin reported that the eruption of the volcano killed 39 people, mostly as a result of heart attacks or other medical events in shelters, according to government officials.
Elazig Earthquake
Seismic disturbances continued in Turkey on January 24, when a 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck Elazig province. Although the earthquake was smaller than that of northern Jamaica, it was more damaging: 41 people were reported killed and more than 1,000 injured.
CNN reported that many of the deaths were caused by the collapse of buildings that trapped dozens under the rubble, while rescue teams struggled to reach them. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the epicenter was relatively shallow, only 10 km away. Shallow earthquakes cause greater vibration on the surface, increasing the intensity of the earthquake.
Major Australasia Fires
At the beginning of 2020, the world watched with horror the wildfires that swept Through Australia, and merged into massive fires in Victoria and New South Wales. According to Eos, Australia's 2019-2020 fire season has burned more than 29.7 million acres (12 million hectares) and killed at least 33 people and more than a billion animals.
Research published in Earth's Future in November 2020 collected the climatic dominoes that led to this fiery disaster: long-term drought, surface soil moisture, wind speed, relative humidity, heat waves, and moisture content from dead and vital fuels.
Oaxaca earthquake
On June 23, a powerful earthquake hit The City of Oaxaca, Mexico, causing buildings to swing as far away as Mexico City. The U.S. Geological Survey said the 7.4-magnitude quake was centered 9 kilometers southeast of Santa Maria Xadani, on the coast of Oaxaca. Ten people were killed in buildings that collapsed as a result of the earthquake.
The quake occurred in the Landas region, where the Cocos plate is slipping under the North American plate. The movement of these two plates creates so-called reverse cracks, which occur where the earth's crust is compressed.
This Region of Andassa is also working to make the southern Mexican coast generally active. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the region experienced at least four earthquakes of magnitude 8 or higher in the last century.
Tremor in Alaska
The strongest earthquake of 2020 was the 7.8-magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale that struck the Alaskan coast on July 22. This area off Alaska is another Indus region, where the Pacific plate glides beneath the North American plate.
Fortunately, the Alaska Peninsula is densely populated, and no one died in the earthquake. Although a tsunami warning was issued, no tsunamis were reported.
August Composite Fire, California
Australia has also experienced a dramatic fire season, with North America experiencing its share of flames as soon as summer in the northern hemisphere. California was particularly affected, burning more than 1.65 million hectares, with 10,488 buildings destroyed and 33 deaths, according to Cal Fire.
Among the fires that swept through the landscape, the August composite fire was the largest in Recorded California history. The fire consumed more than 1 million acres (400,000 hectares) in the provinces of Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity, Tehama, Glen Lake and Kolza. It took three months to fully contain the fire, which began with lightning strikes on August 16 and 17.
Cameron Peakfire, Colorado
As California swung from the August composite fire and other fires across the state, the Colorado forest fire also set new records. The Cameron Beck fire, which began on August 13, set fire to 208,913 acres (84,544 hectares), making it the largest wildfire in Colorado's history, as well as the state's first massive fire burning more than 200,000 acres (80,000 hectares).
The previous record, set just a month earlier, was broken when the Pine Gulch fire broke near the Grand Junction.
Deadly earthquake in Turkey
A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Turkey at 2:51 p.m. local time on October 30, killing 117 people and injuring more than 1,000.
The epicenter of the earthquake was in the Aegean Sea, causing tidal waves that flooded the streets in the Sverhisar region of Izmir. At least one person drowned. However, most of the deaths were due to the collapse of buildings in the Turkish city.
Turkey is located in a seismically complex region, with interactions between Africa, the Eurasian plate and the Anatolian plate.
Hurricane Eta
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the record-breaking hurricane season in 2020 saw about 30 huge storms, 13 of which turned into hurricanes.
The season continued in all the names prepared for this year, from Arthur to Wilfred, and darted across the Greek alphabet all the way to Iota. Of all these storms, Eta was the deadliest, a Category 4 storm with sustained winds peaking at 150 mph (240 km/h).
Nearly 150 people in Central America lost their lives, many of whom were buried under mudslides in Guatemala. The storm also caused an estimated $7.2 billion in losses.
ETA was one of four Category 4 storms in 2020.
Hurricane Iota
The 2020 hurricane season brought one category 5 storm to a category 5 storm: Hurricane Iota, with winds of 160 miles per hour (260 km/h).
The storm affected the Caribbean and Central America, parts of which were still reeling from ETA only weeks ago. At least 45 people were killed and dozens reported missing in the aftermath of the storm, the Herald Mail reported.
Stromboli's Wrath
The Italian volcano Stromboli is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth. It has been continuously erupting for nearly 2,000 years, according to Oregon State University.
From time to time, Stromboli releases a larger clatter. This occurred in November, when a large explosion sent a column of ash into the air and a collapse of lava flow - hot ash and gas - sweeping the slopes of the volcano.
Ita Eruption
By the end of 2020, Italy's Mount Etna blew a stream of glowing lava into the sky on December 14th, temporarily disrupting air travel and creating a spectacular display of geological power.
According to Volcano Discovery, ash releases continued the next day, sending a column at an altitude of 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) toward the sky.
Historians have noted that Etna's disturbances date back to at least 1500 BC, according to the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcano program, although its volcanic history dates back much earlier.
The volcano is likely to have been active for about 500,000 years.
Source: Live Science
0 Comments