Recommended
Have you heard about the Guerrero Gap? The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) is closely monitoring this area of the country due to the earthquakes that occur in the region and the impact they could have on Mexico City; according to experts, a magnitude 8 earthquake in this gap could shake the capital up to 3 times more than the 1985 earthquake. Get all the details!
The topics of earthquakes and tremors are once again generating conversation and fear among Mexico's inhabitants, especially as the date of September 19 approaches; although science has been clear in pointing out that earthquakes cannot be predicted, some people express their fear of the month of September and that another large-magnitude earthquake, like those recorded in previous years, could occur during this month.
UNAM maintains constant monitoring of the earthquakes that are generated and informs the population about them through the National Seismological Service (SSN), which operates under the Institute of Geophysics. Additionally, over the years, the university has conducted research on the seismic zones that produce these movements and has made important revelations.
In an article titled “Seafloor geodesy unveils seismogenesis of large subduction earthquakes in Mexico,” a project led by Víctor Manuel Cruz Atienza, a researcher at the Department of Seismology of the UNAM Institute of Geophysics, the results of a study carried out in the Guerrero Gap were released; the goal was to find out why no earthquake greater than 7 on the Richter scale has occurred in that area since 1911.
Likewise, the researcher highlighted that they are particularly interested in the Guerrero Gap because it is the subduction segment closest to Mexico City.
"An earthquake of magnitude 8 there could produce tremors in the nation's capital two or three times more intense than those of 1985 (...) if we confirm the systematic existence of these precursor signals, Mexico could lay the foundation for the development of earthquake early warning systems with international impact," the specialist indicated.
What is the Guerrero Gap and where is it located?
The Guerrero Gap is located in the Pacific Ocean off the Costa Grande region of the state of Guerrero; it spans an area of 230 km from south of Acapulco to Papanoa.
The Guerrero Gap is located within the subduction zone between the Cocos Plate and the North American Plate; because no seismic activity greater than a magnitude of 7 has been recorded in the region since 1911, there is a high probability that an earthquake of "considerable consequences" will occur in the area, indicated the Guerrero Secretariat for Comprehensive Risk Management and Civil Protection.
What does UNAM recommend in the face of the risk of a major earthquake?
Among the actions that the population can take are:
- Identificar las zonas de menor riesgo dentro de casa, escuela o trabajo
- Preparar una mochila de emergencia
- Conocer las rutas de evacuación
- Identificar los puntos de reunión
- Participar en simulacros
- Revisar las condiciones estructurales de los inmuebles
- Mantener libres las salidas
- Tener a la mano documentos importantes y medicamentos necesarios.
[Publicidad]