Genesis_M_Fall_2022

Mexico has a lot of coastal hazards, particularly along the touristy state of Quintana Roo on the Yucatan Peninsula that faces the Caribbean Sea. Most of the infrastructure built in Quintana Roo are mostly resorts and timeshares that are built very high, heavy, and very close to the water. The area is frequently hit with tropical storms, hurricanes, strong waves and coastal erosions that hit directly onto the short beaches. This leads to the hazard of the infrastructure to possibly be constantly subsiding, losing sand on the beaches, and damaging the coastline.  “Beaches are disappearing, and some are only maintained artificially with sand dredged from the seabed. Often they are little more than strips of sand, no wider than a dirt road. Sometimes the strand has completely vanished, leaving waves breaking against the walls of swimming pools, restaurants and houses.” Some business owners are starting to consider selling their businesses even if it’s currently bringing in lots of rev...

Mexico has a wide range of topography between two oceans and with that it brings a wide range of extreme weather. One type of extreme weather Mexico experiences is heavy rainfall with warm temperatures leading to high humidity with the average annual humidity at 70%. Mexico receives approximately 40 inches of rainfall each year.   The typical alert system of predicted extreme weather is through the media accessible to the people, primarily through radio stations. “Its social and economic conditions increase the population’s vulnerability as they lack proper preparation to face the impacts of extreme weather events.” The people that live in areas of extreme rainfall in their location begin to prepare with resources at hand such as with sandbags and clearing/creating any path for water to run smoothly through to avoid major damage to their communities as soon as they are alerted of the possibility of extreme weather. Below you will find an image showing the variety of ranges the...

Along with earthquakes, rainfall, and volcanic activity, landslides are also a major hazard for Mexico. “ However, in comparison with other hazards such as volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes and floods, landslides have not captured yet the full attention of civil protection authorities or even of a large group of academicians (ResearchGate.Net). ” One famous mass-wasting landslide was the Juan de Grijalva landslide in 2007 where 55 million cubic meters of land sled down to the Grijalva River after five days of rainfall, causing 20 deaths in a village of about 600 people. It’s one of the largest landslides ever recorded. How does a mass landslide this size cause a lower number of deaths? Interestingly enough, the farm animals sensed it! The animals ran off and moved to higher ground and their owners ran after them saving the lives of those who moved to higher elevations chasing after their animals.  Following the landslide, an artificial channel had to be created to drain the accum...

Mexico has 37 Holocene volcanoes which are inactive and 12 active volcanoes. The three most active volcanoes in the country are the Popocatepetl, Colima, and El Chichon.  Almost all of the country's active and recently dormant volcanoes are located in a broad belt of high relief that crosses Mexico from west to east: the Volcanic Axis. Altitudes in this region vary from a few hundred to several thousand meters.  The Citlaltépetl (Pico de Orizaba) is the highest volcano in Mexico with an elevation of 5,675 meters above sea level!    The best way to do protect yourself and your family is to follow the advice of local officials. Local authorities will provide you with information on how to prepare for a volcanic eruption, and if necessary, on how to evacuate (leave the area) or take shelter where you are.   Be prepared to:  Shelter in place and close all windows/turn off ventilation. You will need to protect yourself from any hazardous fumes.  Drive/evacu...

The country of Mexico sits on the world’s most seismically active zone, the Ring of Fire. Mexico has a complex landscape making it vulnerable to a variety of natural disasters and is particularly prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity. Most of the country sits atop the North American Plate and the undersea Cocos Plate in the Pacific Ocean is constantly trying to push below the North American Plate causing tension. Within this zone is a section of a fault known as the Guerrero Gap that stretches 230 kilometers long from Acapulco to Papanoa. The Guerrero Gap has been “quiet” for over 100 years and specialists fear that the accumulation of energy throughout the years can trigger a large earthquake with the potential of severe damage at any point.  Mexico has 37 Holocene volcanoes which are inactive and 12 active volcanoes. The three most active volcanoes in the country are the Popocatepetl, Colima, and El Chichon.  In the event of an emergency, Mexico has educated its people ...

Most of Mexico sits atop the North American Plate, but is also impacted by the Cocos Plate, and Pacific Plate (the three LARGEST tectonic plates). Mexico also touches the much smaller Caribbean Plate, the Pacific Plate, The Rivera Plate, and the Orozco Plate. This means that Mexico is one of the most seismically active countries in the world facing many earthquakes and volcanic activity. "Mexico sits in the world's MOST seismically and volcanically active zone, known as the Ring of Fire." The Baja California Peninsula is on the gigantic Pacific Plate which is part of the famous SAF (San Andreas Fault) system.  Mexico also has a "belt" of volcanoes that cross the country from West to East (see below). This is known as the Volcanic Axis, in which altitudes range from a few hundred to several thousand meters.  The aftermath of previous volcanic activity is found in craters, mud volcanoes, and numerous hot springs scattered throughout the Volcanic Axis, where a lot ...