Earthquakes are one of the most deadliest natural disasters not only because of the destruction it is capable of bringing, but also because of what it causes. Earthquakes can cause tsunamis because of its disruption of water. When an earthquake occurs near fault lines or the ocean floor, the tectonic plates can rub against each other and displace the ocean floor by several kilometers. When there is a disruption this great, the water surface can shift. When the water begins to move, this wave is the start of the tsunami. These waves span great distances, but with a small amplitude. When these waves reach the shore, that is when the tsunami builds up. The tsunami front hits the shore, and because of friction, it is slowed down. However, the back of the tsunami is still moving in. Since the wave has decreased, the amplitude is increased to preserve the conservation of energy. Since Mexico is near a subduction zone, earthquakes near Mexico typically can cause a tsunami because the earthquake is occurring near a fault line. Japan is went through a similar situation back in 2011 where shortly after an earthquake, Japan faced a huge tsunami. The two of these disasters combined completely ravaged Japan and left it in shambles. Mexico is now going through what Japan went through. It was said that “The US Geological Survey recorded at least 20 aftershocks of magnitude 4.0 or greater within about five hours after the main shake, and Peña Nieto warned that an aftershock as large as magnitude 7.2 could occur” (Steinbuch). So residents of Mexico are not only facing the initial earthquake, but several aftershocks after as well. To worsen the situation, officials have observed tsunami waves of roughly a meter high on some coastal regions and some smaller tsunami waves elsewhere. Mexico has taken so much and lost just as much in such a short period of time with casualties in the thousands and a few confirmed deceased.

This recent natural disaster has crippled many residents of services such as electricity and that number has been in the millions. Only as of recently, power has been restored to about 4/5 that number. Buildings have fallen and people have been left homeless. The problems are only multiplying. It has been reported that at the time of the earthquake, many residents fled to the streets in just their pajamas or wrapped in a blanket as they observed the phenomenon in fear. This earthquake has not only physical effects on the environment, but also mental effects on the victims. The damages last considerably longer than the actual event. As Mexico is slowly rebuilding from these concussive blows, in which direction should they head for? How can they lessen the damages if there is another case like this? These are potential topics for the politicians to discuss in coming meetings because natural disasters like this are extremely unpredictable as we have seen. But this doesn’t just apply to Mexico, but for every one. Chicago for example was hit by a small tsunami. One might think that Chicago is inland and not close to any tectonic plates. That just goes to show that we are losing our ability to predict the Earth and its behaviors because now it is becoming more and more unpredictable due to environmental changes.

Sources:
http://nypost.com/2017/09/08/major-earthquake-strikes-off-coast-of-mexico-tsunami-warning-issued/ (Yaron Steinbuch)
http://itic.ioc-unesco.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1158&Itemid=2026