13 ways the Earth showed its wrath in 2020!

2020 brought a record Atlantic Ocean hurricane season, numerous life-threatening wildfires, and many earthquakes severe enough to remind humanity of the power of plate tectonics.

Some of these disasters were part of the geological cycle; Others have been helped by human-induced climate change.

In this sense, Life Science published a report that reminds us of the ways in which the earth showed its anger in 2020:

2020 Caribbean Sea earthquake

One of the largest earthquakes this year, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake, struck the Caribbean on January 28, 2020. The earthquake occurred 122 kilometers northwest of Lucia, Jamaica and southern Cuba. According to USA Today, no one died, but the tremors were felt as far away as Miami and parts of the Yucatan Peninsula.

The area where the earthquake occurred is on the plate boundary between North America and the Caribbean Plate. The period from late 2019 to early 2020 was an active time at the plate boundary, and Puerto Rico experienced a series of earthquakes more intense than those seen since 1918, Live Science reported.

Taal eruption

On January 12, the Taal volcano on the Philippine island of Luzon erupted massively, sending ash clouds into the sky. The eruption rapidly intensified, giving rise to 14 km of plumes of steam and ash. It was the first time the volcano had erupted in 40 years. When the ash clouds washed away more than 62 km to the north, residents who lived near the volcano were forced to evacuate.

Manila Bulletin reported that the eruption killed 39 people, most of them as a result of heart attacks or other medical events inside shelters, according to government officials.

Elazig earthquake

Seismic disturbances continued in Turkey on January 24, when a 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck Elazig province. Although this earthquake was smaller than the one in northern Jamaica, it was more damaging: 41 people died and more than 1,000 were injured.

CNN reported that many of the deaths were caused by the collapse of buildings that surrounded dozens of people under the rubble as rescue teams struggled to reach them. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the epicenter was relatively shallow, only 10 km away. Shallow earthquakes cause more shaking on the surface, increasing the intensity of the earthquake.

The great Australian fires

In early 2020, the world watched in horror at the wildfires that swept through Australia and merged into major fires in Victoria and New South Wales. According to Eos, the 2019-2020 fire season in Australia burned more than 29.7 million acres (12 million hectares) and killed at least 33 people and more than 1 billion animals.

Research published in Earth’s Future in November 2020 compiled the climate dominoes that led to this fiery catastrophe: long-term droughts, soil surface moisture, wind speed, relative humidity, heat waves, and dead and dead moisture content. biofuels.

The Oaxaca earthquake

On June 23, a powerful earthquake struck Oaxaca, Mexico, causing buildings to sway as far as Mexico City. The United States Geological Survey said that the 7.4 magnitude quake had its epicenter 9 kilometers southeast of Santa María Zadani, on the coast of Oaxaca. Ten people died in buildings that collapsed as a result of the earthquake.

The earthquake occurred in the subduction zone, where the Cocos plate slides under the North American plate. The motion of these two plates creates what are called reverse faults, which occur when the Earth’s crust is compressed.

This subduction zone also serves to make the southern coast of Mexico generally active. According to the United States Geological Survey, the region has seen at least four earthquakes of magnitude 8 or greater in the last century.

Shaking in Alaska

The strongest earthquake of 2020 was the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Alaska on July 22. This region off Alaska is another subduction zone, as the Pacific plate slides underneath the North American plate.

Fortunately, the Alaska Peninsula is sparsely populated and no one died in the earthquake. Although a tsunami warning was issued, no waves materialized.

August compound fire, California

While Australia experienced a dramatic fire season, North America saw its share of flames once summer hits the Northern Hemisphere. California was hit particularly hard, with more than 1.65 million acres burned, 10,488 buildings destroyed and 33 dead, according to CalFire.

Of the wildfires that ravaged the landscape, the August compound fire was the largest in California’s recorded history. This fire consumed more than 1 million acres (400,000 hectares) in Mendocino, Humboldt, Trinity, Tehama, Glen Lake and Colosa counties. It took three months to fully contain the fire, which started with lightning on August 16 and 17.

Cameron Peak Fire, Colorado

As California was reeling from August’s compound fire and other fires across the state, the Colorado wildfire was also setting new records. The Cameron Peak Fire, which started on August 13, sparked fires on 208,913 acres (84,544 hectares), making it the largest wildfire in Colorado history, as well as the first wildfire in the state to burn more 200,000 acres (80,000 hectares).

The fire broke the previous record, set just a month ago, when the Pine Gulch fire caught fire near Grand Junction.

Fatal earthquake in Turkey

At 2:51 p.m. local time, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey on October 30, killing 117 people and injuring more than 1,000.

The epicenter of the earthquake was in the Aegean Sea, causing tidal waves that flooded the streets of Izmir’s Seferihisar district. At least one person drowned. However, most of the deaths were due to building collapses in the Turkish city.

Turkey is located in a seismically complex region, with interactions between Africa and the Aura Plate

Turkey is located in a seismically complex region, with interactions between Africa and the Eurasian Plate and the Anatolian Plate.

Hurricane ETA

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the record-breaking hurricane season in 2020 saw some 30 mega storms, 13 of which became tornadoes.

The season continued with all the names set for this year, from Arthur to Wilfred, and traversed the Greek alphabet all the way to Iota. Of all these storms, Hurricane ETA was the deadliest, a Category 4 storm with sustained winds that peaked at 150 mph (240 km / h).

Almost 150 people in Central America lost their lives, after many of them were buried under landslides in Guatemala. The storm also caused losses estimated at $ 7.2 billion.

ETA was one of four Category 4 storms in 2020.

Hurricane Iota

The 2020 hurricane season brought a storm that reached Category 5 strength – Hurricane Iota, which had winds of 160 mph (260 km / h). Iota formed on November 13, making it the last hurricane equivalent to a Category 5 storm.

The storm affected the Caribbean and Central America, parts of which were still recovering from ETA just a few weeks ago. At least 45 people died and dozens of people were reported missing in the wake of the storm, according to the Herald Mail.

Stromboli fury

The Italian volcano, Stromboli, is one of the most active volcanoes on Earth. It has rotated continuously for nearly 2,000 years, according to Oregon State University.

Every now and then Stromboli emits an even louder roar. This happened in November, when a large eruption sent a column of ash into the air and a collapse of the flow of lava, hot ash and gas, swept the slopes of the volcano.

Etna eruption

In late 2020, Italy’s Mount Etna detonated a stream of lava glowing in the sky on December 14, temporarily disrupting air travel and creating an impressive geological display of force.

According to Volcano Discovery, the ash emissions continued into the next day, sending a 13,000-foot (4,000-meter) column skyward.

Historians have pointed out that the turbulence on Etna dates back to at least 1500 BC. C., according to the World Volcanology Program of the Smithsonian Institution, although its volcanic history dates back much earlier.

The volcano may have been active for about 500,000 years.