Aftershocks in Haiti can be expected for months if not years following the recent devastating earthquake, the United States Geological Survey warned yesterday.
On 20 January a 6.0 magnitude aftershock struck, following the 7.0 initial quake last week.
Now the USGS assessment of ongoing hazards indicates a 25% chance of one or more magnitude 6 quakes during the 30 days following 21 January. The chance of a quake of magnitude 7 or higher is less than 3% but the assessment warns that two or three quakes of 5 or greater should be expected in the next month.
“Any aftershock above magnitude 5.0 will be widely felt and has the potential to cause additional damage, particularly to vulnerable, already damaged structures,” warns the USGS.
The new assessment also warns that the Enriquillo fault zone responsible for this seismic activity also stores significant amounts of strain that could – if released suddenly – cause another large and damaging earthquake during the lifetime of any building erected in the current reconstruction of Haiti.
“It is essential that the rebuilding effort in Haiti take into account the potential for, indeed the inevitability of, future strong earthquakes,” it notes.
See also
Geologists to evaluate future Haiti risks
Image: still from the USGS Google map of Haiti aftershocks. Full map here.