This most recent devastating earthquake that occurred in Nepal, Japan a few years ago, and the two that occurred in Chile and Haiti was a direct result of a shift of tectonic plates caused by volcanic activity beneath the earths crust. What made the earthquake in Nepal and Japan so intense is that both areas are vestiges of so many active volcanoes. Japan, which is actually a chain of islands forming an archipelago of mountain tops that were formed by the earths plate tectonics and volcano activity located in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
It just so happens that both Japanese and the people in Nepal are living in one of the earths most unstable regions. When the Philippine Sea Plate and the Pacific Plate subduct under the Eurasian Continental Plate with the North American Plate near Asia you can expect something big is going to happen. These plates are situated on subduction zones all around Nepal and Japan. It is known that any sudden shift by any two Plates results in earthquakes. Unfortunately, this most recent one in Nepal involved the Indian Plate proved to be most intense.
In Nepal the collision between Indian and Eurasia plates is where the Indian plate is pushing its way north toward Asia at a rate of about 5 centimeters, or 2 inches, a year. In geological terms that is almost unprecedented. But, we also know as the earths plates push against each other, friction generates stress and energy that builds until the crust ruptures. In Nepal as in the other recent earthquakes comparably speaking is equivalent to a thermonuclear weapon explosion. In all cases these earthquakes tend to cause more damage and more aftershocks than those that occur deeper below the earth’s surface.
The earthquake in Japan is where the disturbances are centered around the Pacific Ring of Fire. Japan just happens to lie on top of the Pacific Plate which is right next to the Philippine Sea Plate. With all the volcanic activity that has been going on in Japan and with over 1500 smaller quakes each year it was only a matter of time before that major earthquake hit. The other major earthquakes to hit recently were in Chile and Haiti. Both resulted from a continuation of disturbances that have been ongoing for years along the Pacific Ring of Fire. All of these earthquakes indicates that the planet is indeed in the continuing process of major continental shifts.
What happened in Chile was that the South American Plate coinciding with the Nazca Plate shifted because the pressure of volcanic activity forced an eruption beneath causing these two plates to rise and move rapidly. This resulted in a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake. When this occurred it also created a Tsunami that had the capability of causing serious damage to Hawaii and the far East Coast. Luckily, the resulting Tsunami was very small and did not damage any shore line across the Pacific. The earthquake in Japan however proved to be one of the most devastating.
The earthquake in Haiti which lies on the Caribbean Plate occurred when the Concos Plate was forced to move during more volcanic activity beneath these two plates. All of the earths land masses make up the lithosphere which exists as separate tectonic plates that float on the lava like atmosphere. The fluidity of the earths atmosphere allows the tectonic plates to shift in different directions and rise up causing earthquakes.
With the past earthquake in Nepal and the 8.9 earthquake in Japan which triggered a massive Tsunami. That tsunami had devastating consequences not only in Japan but caused more damage in Hawaii and was even felt along the West Cost of the United States. The monumental loss of lives not just from the earthquakes is just too horrendous. Give the Japanese credit for their building codes otherwise that earthquake would have had the same consequences as the one in Nepal this past week.
There is a distinct possibility that all these earthquakes occurred as a direct result of continuing fault lines shifting almost concurrently. These plate shifts most likely are just the beginning of more tremors and earthquakes that will follow and will continue to intensify. Sure they have been spontaneous earthquakes through-out history but with three major earthquakes happening within a little over a year apart and this latest one in Nepal is just too coincidental to think otherwise.
There is also the possibility of acceleration of continental shifts are indirectly linked to global warming. With the continued escalation of depleting the world of it’s oil reserves, the ravaging of the earths surface through strip mining of coal and the deeper mining of coal have caused great voids under the earths surface. This creates more of climate in which the atmosphere is more likely to shift to make up the difference in the voids that man has caused. With the combination of more fossil fuel emissions world wide global warming has only exasperated the acceleration of melting polar ice caps which also triggers major geological shifts of the oceans and continents. All of which could be a cause attributing to earthquakes.
Too often when a major earthquake strikes the major destruction and devastation that results in its aftermath the poorest countries, cities, and towns suffer the most. The buildings and the rest of the infrastructure are so poorly constructed that when a major earthquake occurs the devastation is more acute than in countries, cities, and towns where citizens have the ability and capability of constructing buildings more structurally sound. In Japan the damage would have been far worse had the major cities not built their buildings to withstand the amount of minor earthquakes that are so frequent. When a major earthquake hit as it did most of the major buildings in the cities are better suited to withstand major earthquakes. This wasn’t the case in Nepal
We must all realize the enormous impact of any disruption on the planet whether it is earthquakes or any other natural disaster the earth will continue to subject all humanity with upheavals of destruction. Some scientists now fear that they will only continue to escalate, intensify, and occur more with certain regularity. Using the technology developed today for advanced warning and mandated better building codes along the Rings of Fire all around the world will have a greater impact on the saving of lives, money, and property in the event of any major catastrophe.