Newswise — Rowena Lohman, a geophysicist in the department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Cornell University, comments on the powerful March 20 earthquake centered near Oaxaca, Mexico, as officials continue to assess the surprisingly modest damage caused by the event.
She says:
“The large earthquake that occurred on the Pacific coast of southern Mexico last Tuesday may seem striking to many because of the fact that there were no reported casualties. This contrasts strongly with the M8.0 earthquake in 1985 that occurred at approximately the same distance from Mexico City, but that caused nearly 10,000 casualties and disastrous property damage in the capital.
“Many factors contribute to the perceived shaking during an earthquake, including the amount of energy released – around 8 times less for a M7.4 than a M8.0 – the soil type of the location (Mexico City sits on an old lakebed), the depth and distance to the earthquake, and the ‘directivity’ of the rupture. If the rupture propagates towards you, you will feel more shaking than if it propagates away from you.”
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