Why was St. Lucia spared by the 7.4 Earthquake in November 29, 2007?

The deeper an earthquake is, the lesser the impact it has on the surface of the Earth; hence the smaller the impact on buildings.

Contrary to a popular belief, the magnitude is not affected by the depth. Both factors together determine the level of destruction caused by an earthquake.

Earthquakes can occur anywhere between the Earth's surface and about 700 kilometers below the surface. Scientists categorise earthquake depths into three zones: shallow, intermediate and deep.

Shallow earthquakes are between 0 and 70 km deep; intermediate earthquakes are between 70 - 300 km deep; and deep earthquakes are between 300 - 700 km deep.

The depth of the earthquake in Dominica was intermediate (136.2 km or 84.6 miles) compared to the one in Haiti which was shallow (13 km or 8.1 miles); hence, the devastation in Haiti. Official estimates reported 222,570 people killed, 300,000 injured, 1.3 million displaced, 97,294 houses destroyed and 188,383 damaged in the Port-au-Prince area and in much of southern Haiti.

The earthquake which struck St. Lucia on Thursday, November 29, 2007 was slightly more powerful (magnitude of 7.4), than the one which struck Haiti  (magnitude of 7.0). However, the depth  of the two earthquakes probably made the difference. The earthquake which struck us in November 2007  was intermediate in depth (146.2 km or 90.8 miles) and  and the one which struck Haiti was of shallow depth! That’s perhaps was one of the reasons we were largely spared!

Strong earthquake rattles Dominica

Friday, 31 December 2010 14:03 cmc 

 

ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.0 rattled Dominica on Friday afternoon, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injury.

 

The National Earthquake Information Center of the United States Geological Survey said that the quake occurred at 2.18 (local time) and was felt throughout the island.

It had a depth of 136 kilometers and was located 15.10 North, 61.38 west or 14 miles south of the capital, Roseau.

The quake was also felt in Soufriere, Grand Bay, and 182 miles North West of Bridgetown, Barbados.

You can view specifics here on the following website:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc0000xe3.php#details

Apparently, it was not felt in St. Lucia. Here are the places where it was felt:
20 km (15 miles) S of ROSEAU, Dominica
65 km (40 miles) NNW of FORT-DE-FRANCE, Martinique
85 km (55 miles) S of Grand-Bourg, Marie-Galante, Guadeloupe
630 km (390 miles) SE of SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico

A Comment from a Concerned Choiseulian Citizen

This is an email from some one who refers himself as a concerned citizen. S/he has asked that it be published and I oblige. I have made only minor editorial changes. I note that s/he has published a slightly varied version of the same email:

"Can't Taiwan do the same for us for Hewanorra?

I believe St. Lucia will regret for kicking China out of here. We would have been so much better of. By now we would have had our National Hospital, a massive Cultural facility in Conway (and I'm sure there would have been a big difference in the crime/murder rate). Poverty reduction and constituency development would have been more profound and orderly.

Also, we would have received significant budgetary support and also substantial financial and technical support for our post Tomas recovery efforts. Overall, our development infrastructure would have taken a great leap forward.

But sorry to say, this is not the case because we have put an ex-convict (who has a long history of fraud) in charge of our foreign affairs portfolio.

The net result of all this was the death of Sir John and a dramatic decline in the integrity of our political system.

Don't we have any pride? I truly feel sorry for Helen!"

- Concerned Choiseulian citizen

China’s Madame Liu on two-day visit to Antigua

Thursday, 30 December 2010 14:57 Calvin G. Brown

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC - China’s most powerful female politician Madame Liu Yandong is scheduled to arrive here Thursday for talks with Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer and other high-ranking government officials.

She is accompanied by six ministers and vice ministers from the Chinese Government.

The visitors will pay a courtesy call on Governor General Dame Louise Lake-Tack on December 31. This will be followed by a meeting with Prime Minister Spencer and the signing of bilateral agreements which, Ambassador David Shoul said, will relate to the recently announced financing for a new airport terminal, and the donation of several computers to the Ministry of Education.

In the Throne Speech earlier this month Dame Louise reported that the Government of Antigua and Barbuda and the Government of the People’s Republic of China through the Ministry of Tourism have signed off on a preliminary schematic design on the erection of a new airport terminal for Antigua and Barbuda.

“This project will cost approximately US45 million dollars to be funded by the EXIM Bank of the People’s Republic of China. The terms of the arrangement consist of a 30 per cent interest free grant and a 70 per cent concessionary loan at 2% interest with a five-year moratorium. Construction will commence in the first half of 2011,” she said.

Madame Liu Yandong is a native of Nantong Jiangsu and a graduate of Tsinghua University. She is the highest ranking female politician in the Communist Party of China.

A WORD OF WELCOME TO OUR FRIENDS ALL OVER THE WORLD

A special word of welcome to our friends all over the world.

We note our friends in Russia, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Jamaica; we also have been having a considerable number of hits from the Caribbean lately. We are happy and we welcome you always!

Don't forget to leave your comments. You can email us choiseulpowerhouse@gmail.com.

For those of you who send in comments, I wish to thank you. You can comment in two ways: either on the blog itself or via email.

We have a very open policy and indeed we are very open; and we will never deny you the right to express your comment.

We believe in the freedom of information and we also believe all forms of criticism; it's what makes us grow!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

CARICOM Airways to comply Kenny asks of Chastenet

Thursday, 30 December 2010 04:31 cmc

CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC—Opposition Leader Dr. Kenny Anthony Wednesday called on Tourism Minister Allen Chastanet to encourage the owners of the St. Lucia based  CARICOM Airways to comply with the requirements of the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA) before seeking to expand its operations in the region.

Anthony was reacting to the decision of the ECCAA ordering the Suriname owned carrier to immediately discontinue its operations within the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) deeming it illegal.

Chastanet has said that while he is aware of the ECCAA ruling, he is not yet prepared to make a public statement.

“The St. Lucia Labour Party notes that the ECCAA has declared that the contentious CARICOM Airways is operating illegally has consequently has grounded the airline preventing it from flying in the region until it can meet the standards required by the ECCAA,” Anthony said.

“While the SLP welcomes competition in the airline industry and increased airlift, this must never be at the expense of safety and good commercial practices.

“We therefore call on Senator Allen Chastanet to encourage CARICOM Airways to get its house in order,” he added.

But Chastanet had in response to a statement by St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves denied that the carrier was operating illegally.

Chastanet had also given the St. Vincent and the Grenadines government an ultimatum that unless it responds to an application that would allow CARICOM Airways operate a schedule flight into the island, Castries  would stop two St. Vincent-based airlines - SVG Air and Mustique Airways - from operating in St. Lucia.

Chastanet said that CARICOM Airways was operating under the Airline Operation Convention (AOC) from Suriname, which under the CARICOM Convention, allows member countries to accept each other’s AOC.

But in a letter dated December 20, and addressed to SRM Chin-A-Kwie, Chief Executive officer of Caribbean Commuter Airways N.V., the ECCAA said that even though CARICOM Airways had been granted an AOC from the Civil Aviation Authority of Suriname, the information available to the ECCAA indicates that CARICOM Airways’ principal place of business is St. Lucia.

“As such and by virtue of the Civil Aviation Regulations of St. Lucia, CARICOM Airways must apply for and obtain an AOC issued by the ECCAA before commencing commercial air transport operations,” noted the letter signed by the ECCCA Acting Director General Donald McPhail.

The SLP leader said that sadly, yet again that Chastanet has shown up publicly and chastised by a regional institution.

“We therefore urge Prime Minister King to take control of his Cabinet to avoid further embarrassment to the people of this country,” Anthony said.

Dr Kenny Anthony baffled at Jamaica’s position on CCJ

Friday, 24 December 2010 13:03 cmc

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Former St Lucia prime minister Dr. Kenny Anthony says he is baffled at the position outlined by Jamaica after Prime Minister Bruce Golding hinted at the possibility of not having the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as its final court .

Anthony has also disagreed with a suggestion from AJ Nicholson, the opposition People’s National Party’s (PNP) spokesman on Justice, who recommended that Jamaica makes the CCJ its final appellate court with a provision for local judges to sit on cases from Jamaica.

“This is bound to attack the very integrity of the court and its going to smack of a situation where the government is paying for the quality of justice it gets by appointing two judges on the CCJ. It strikes at the very heart of the argument that has been put forward in Jamaica that you want a court free of manipulation. The potential for manipulation in that formula is even greater” the St Lucian opposition leader said.

The Jamaica Constitution requires a minimum of 40 'yes' votes in the 60-seat House and 14 'yes' votes in the Senate for Jamaica to abolish the Privy Council as its court of final appeal.

The CCJ was established in 2001 by regional governments to replace the Privy Council as the region’s final court. Most of the CARICOM countries are signatories to the court’s original jurisdiction but only Barbados, Guyana and Belize have signed on to the appellate jurisdiction.

The CCJ also serves as an international tribunal interpreting the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas that governs the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) and the regional integration grouping.

CARICOM AIRWAYS OPERATING ILLEGALLY

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Mere weeks after St. Lucia’s Tourism Minister Allen Chastanet vehemently denied that CARICOM Airways was operating illegally, the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA) has ordered the carrier to immediately discontinue its operations within the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

Chastanet’s denial was in response to a statement by St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves that the St. Lucia registered CARICOM Airways was operating illegally, as it had failed to address certain issues stipulated by the ECCAA for operations within the sub-region.

Chastanet had also given the St. Vincent and the Grenadines government an ultimatum that unless it responds to an application that would allow CARICOM Airways operate a schedule flight into the island, Castries  would stop two St. Vincent-based airlines - SVG Air and Mustique Airways - from operating in St. Lucia.

Chastanet said that CARICOM Airways was operating under the Airline Operation Convention (AOC) from Suriname, which under the CARICOM Convention, allows member countries to accept each other’s AOC.

But in a letter dated December 20, and addressed to SRM Chin-A-Kwie, Chief Executive officer of Caribbean Commuter Airways N.V., the ECCAA said that even though CARICOM Airways had been granted an AOC from the Civil Aviation Authority of Suriname, the information available to the ECCAA indicates that CARICOM Airways’ principal place of business is St. Lucia.

“As such and by virtue of the Civil Aviation Regulations of St. Lucia, CARICOM Airways must apply for and obtain an AOC issued by the ECCAA before commencing commercial air transport operations,” noted the letter signed by the ECCCA Acting Director General Donald McPhail.

The letter acknowledged that on November 25 this year, the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation in St. Lucia had submitted an application on behalf of CARICOM Airways for permission to operate “as a foreign operator pursuant to Part 10 of the Regulations.

“We wish to advise that in light of the foregoing, permission to operate under Part 10 of the Regulations cannot be granted to CARICOM Airways,” McPhail wrote.

“The ECCAA therefore instructs CARICOM AIRWAYS to immediately discontinue its operations until such time that it has been issued with the appropriate AOC by the ECCAA,” McPhail added.’

Major Earthquake Predicted for the region

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC -The Acting Director of the Seismic Research Centre of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Dr Joan Latchman, is warning Caribbean countries to be prepared for an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0 after Trinidad and Tobago was rocked by a 5.1 magnitude quake on Sunday night.

The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) said there were no reports of damage or injury from the quake that the National Earthquake Information at the United States Geological Survey registered 5.1 and was located 15 miles north west of Port of Spain in Trinidad and 70 miles west south west of Scarborough in Tobago. It was also felt in some sections of Venezuela.

Latchman said that while the region has not had a severe earthquake for the last 100 years, she is predicting that one with a magnitude of 8.0 could hit the Caribbean any day.

“Our largest earthquake close to Trinidad occurred n 1756 which is more than 200 years ago. The largest one in the Eastern Caribbean occurred in 1843 which is more than a 100 years ago, the region is posed for a large earthquake,” she said on a radio programme here.

On January 12 this year, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 hit Haiti killing an estimated 300,000 people and leaving more than one million others homeless.

Latchman said that while the Caribbean has recorded earthquakes in the magnitude 7.1 to 7.5 range in the Eastern Caribbean “every 20 to 30 years, we have not had that one in the magnitude, eight range, that we expect every 100 years.

“So this is what we are saying and we have been saying it now for many year, that the region is posed to experience one of its great earthquakes and as a region and as a country we need to be prepared.

“We need to take it seriously …we need to take the earthquake hazard very seriously,” she said.

Latchman said that Sunday’s earthquake was part of a series of earthquakes that began in September 2006 when one of the tremors registered a magnitude of 5.8, the highest registered on land in Trinidad-since the Seismic Unit has been monitoring earthquakes.

She said on that same day in September and in the same general area, the country had 11 earthquakes and the biggest aftershock five hours later with a magnitude of 5.3.

“The following day there were eight earthquakes located and on the third day, the number dropped to four,” Latchman said, adding that the number of earthquakes for this area fell off very rapidly to the point of having one or two a month.

 “We may still see an earthquake larger than 4.7, but if it’s an aftershock, it’s not expected to be larger than 5.8 in magnitude. This, however, does not discount the possibility that the activity that we have seen in this area is all precursory to something bigger than 5.8,” she added.