Why Mexico Is So Prone to Strong Earthquakes
- 7 years ago
Why Mexico Is So Prone to Strong Earthquakes
This Cascadia subduction zone last generated a magnitude-9.0 earthquake in the Pacific Northwest in 1700, and based on what we know about the frequency of such quakes, Dr. Hayes said
that another one of similar strength could occur any day now
The subduction zone responsible for the two recent quakes runs along the western coast of Central America, from
Central Mexico to Panama, said Gavin Hayes, a research geophysicist with the United States Geological Survey.
Typically, about one quake of magnitude 8 or higher occurs somewhere in the world every
year; there are about a dozen quakes of magnitude 7 or higher annually, Dr. Hayes said.
Both earthquakes that struck Mexico this month occurred within the sinking Cocos Plate, rather than between the Cocos Plate and the North American.
In Mexico’s case, an oceanic plate — the Cocos — is gradually sinking beneath a continental plate — the North American.
This Cascadia subduction zone last generated a magnitude-9.0 earthquake in the Pacific Northwest in 1700, and based on what we know about the frequency of such quakes, Dr. Hayes said
that another one of similar strength could occur any day now
The subduction zone responsible for the two recent quakes runs along the western coast of Central America, from
Central Mexico to Panama, said Gavin Hayes, a research geophysicist with the United States Geological Survey.
Typically, about one quake of magnitude 8 or higher occurs somewhere in the world every
year; there are about a dozen quakes of magnitude 7 or higher annually, Dr. Hayes said.
Both earthquakes that struck Mexico this month occurred within the sinking Cocos Plate, rather than between the Cocos Plate and the North American.
In Mexico’s case, an oceanic plate — the Cocos — is gradually sinking beneath a continental plate — the North American.