By Ian Randall
Research by the US Geological Survey is being used to recast building codes in Haiti, as part of the reparation efforts following the magnitude-7 seismic event there earlier this year.
The USGS have installed a number of seismic monitoring stations around the region – both on the harder bedrock and on the softer basin sediments – and are using GPS measurements to track any deformation on the fault line which runs under Haiti. It is hoped that these stations will enable seismologists to better assess the locations that present the greatest hazard in an earthquake.
A collapsed multi-story building in Port-au-Prince
This research into the geology of Haiti, which is being overseen by the Earthquake Disaster Assistance Team program, will then be used to help draw up safer building codes for the different areas of the region.
“USGS research will contribute to explicit recommendations to both the Haitian government and the international community that is assisting the reconstruction efforts,” said Walter Mooney, USGS geophysicist, adding “it’s imperative that we move quickly, because in some areas reconstruction has already begun that may not withstand another earthquake of this magnitude.”
At present, Haiti has no codes covering the seismic-proofing of its buildings and infrastructure. This makes buildings in more seismically susceptible areas, such as those built on sedimentary basins, more vulnerable to damage by surface waves.
“Specifically, we found that buildings on harder, more stable bedrock fared much better than buildings on softer sediments, such as those located in the center of cities like Port-au-Prince and Leogane,” Mooney said.
Even though the 12th January episode was the largest seismic event in the region over the last 200 years, seismologists are concerned that another earthquake could strike in the near future.