Geologists say beleaguered Haiti may still be waiting for the other shoe to drop, seismologically speaking. Analysis of high-resolution radar images shows that only half of the Enriquillo fault ruptured in the Jan. 12 quake that devastated the island nation's capital.
The western portion of the fault segment ruptured, but the eastern segment did not, says Tim Dixon, professor of geology and geophysics at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.
That means half the energy locked up in the ground under Port au Prince has yet to be released. "There's a reasonable probability of another large quake, similar to the January 12 event, striking Port au Prince within the next 20 to 30 years," says Dixon. He thinks the nation should move critical infrastructure such as government buildings, schools and hospitals northwards, out of the danger zone. READ MORE
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