Two earthquakes happened last weekend hitting two countries that are 9,000 miles apart. According to reports, earthquakes with over 7.0 magnitude hit Japan and Ecuador on Saturday. The earthquakes occurred at the two countries only hours apart.
Ecuador Earthquake Over 200 Dead
The Washington Post reported that a 7.8-magnitude earthquake fell on the seaside town of Pedernales killing at least 246 individuals. The surviving residents gathered outside a soccer stadium for supplies and news.
Many were crying silently as they come to identify the bodies of missing loved ones, who did not survive the earthquake. The quake injured over 2,000 individuals. Meanwhile, about 600 people were treated at clinics and a pop-up first aid station in the stadium.
President Rafael Correa rushed back home from Italy after learning about the incident. He explained that finding survivors was the main priority. "The whole country is mobilizing," he tweeted and added that Pedernales, the epicenter was "destroyed."
Japan Struggles To Restore Vital Services
Meanwhile, in Japan, about 18,000 people will still be spending their nights in temporary shelters, cars and tents, BBC reported. Over 62,000 homes were left without electricity and 300,000 homes have no water. The earthquake in Japan killed 41 people and wounded hundreds. Eleven people are missing after the quake.
Japan And Ecuador Earthquakes Not Epidemic
The reports about the earthquakes in Japan and Ecuador raised an alarm to many. Are the two earthquakes related? Does this suggest an epidemic? The New York Times reported that the earthquakes are not related and not epidemic.
The Ecuadorian quake was a classic mega thrust event. It was due to Nazca, a heavy oceanic plate that slid under the South American, a lighter continental plate. The strain builds up at the boundary and was released suddenly in the form of an earthquake.
Meanwhile, the quake in Japan was not a megathrust earthquake. It occurred at a shallow depth along a different kind of fault called strike-slip in the top of the Eurasia plate, above any subduction zone.
The report notes that the two earthquakes are not an epidemic. The average number of earthquakes per year remains consistent. For earthquakes between magnitude 7.0 and 7.9, there is an average of 15 cases per year. So, there could be more than one per month.
What do you think of the recent earthquakes in Japan and Ecuador? Did this worry you that it might strike in your area as well? Share your thoughts below.
