The specific characteristics of strong earthquake in Ecuador

1. By: Emily Masabanda
College: Jezreel International Christian Academy
Course: 1 st bachellor Isaias

2. 
The 2016 earthquake in Ecuador was an earthquake
occurred at 18:58 ECT of 16 April 2016 , with its
epicenter between Pedernales and Cojimíes Canton
Pedernales , in the Ecuadorian province of Manabi
parishes. With a magnitude of 7.8 Mw , is the
strongest earthquake felt in the country since the
earthquake in Colombia in 1979 , and the most
destructive earthquakes in Ecuador since 1987. The
seismic waves arrived in southwestern Colombia ,
feeling in cities of that country as Cali, Pasto,
Popayan and Neiva ; and to the northern border of
Peru , in places like Tumbes , Piura , Cajamarca ,
Lambayeque and Amazonas .

3. TECTONICS
In Ecuador are frequent
earthquakes and their cause
is almost always attributable
to the tectonic processes of
large subduction zones along
the shores of the Pacific
Ocean.
 This earthquake , with its epicenter
on the coast of northern Ecuador ,
falls within this context of plate
tectonics. Its origin is the thrust on
the border or near the boundary
between the South American
continental plate and the Pacific (
Nazca plate ) .
 In the place where the earthquake ,
the Pacific plate subducting toward
the east at a speed of 61 millimeters
per year.
 This production mechanism of
earthquakes is common to the entire
area of the coastline of Chile, Peru
and Ecuador ( Ring of Fire ) and is
the source of the biggest
earthquake known to human history
(which reached a magnitude of 9.5
on the seismological scale of Richter
scale and occurred in southern Chile
in 1960

4. SEVERAL AREAS OF
THE COUNTRY
AFFECTED
The earthquake of magnitude
7.8 on the moment magnitude
scale rocked Ecuador's
Pacific coast at 18:58 hours ,
the quake to its epicenter ,
located between the
provinces of Manabi and
Esmeraldas was mainly felt in
nearby towns.
Some of the places are:
• Pedernales
• Manabi
• Esmeraldas
• Guayas
• Los Rios
• Santo Domingo
• Pichincha
• Imbabura
• Tunhuragua
 Manabi
 Pedernales:

5.  At least 659 people were killed and more than
27,732 others were injured in the earthquake. It
was the worst natural disaster to hit Ecuador since
the 1949 Ambato earthquake. Over 300 fatalities
occurred in the cities of Manta and Portoviejo, both
of which are located in Manabi province. President
Rafael Correa stated that the reconstruction would
cost "billions of dollars."
 The number of fatalities was estimated as several
hundred within thirty minutes of the earthquake. By
April 24, the fatality count had reached 654, and
8,340 had been reported as injured.
 In Colombia, near the city of Cali, one miner died as
a result of the earthquake, becoming the only
reported death outside of Ecuador.

7.  In response to the earthquake, a state of emergency was declared throughout the
country and the national guard was mobilized to assist in rescue and relief efforts.
Approximately 10,000 military personnel and 3,500 police officers were deployed.
President Rafael Correa cut his trip to Italy short in order to return to Ecuador.
Hydroelectric dams and oil pipelines were shut down as a precautionary measure. On April
20, a 6.1–6.2 magnitude aftershock struck 15 miles west of Muisne around 3:30AM, local
time.The quake had a depth of about 9 miles.José Joaquín de Olmedo International
Airport in Guayaquil was also closed due to communication issues.
 A UNICEF representative reported that the government is considering relocating "one or
two" towns in the aftermath of the earthquake. There were also concerns about the Zika
virus outbreak and the risk of dengue fever for people displaced by the quake.
 Days after the earthquake, the country experienced difficulties distributing food and
water to those in need, including the over 26 thousand survivors relocated to shelters.
President Correa acknowledged that the poor infrastructure of the country might be to
blame.Increasing taxes and offering government bonds to other countries are suggested
proposals for paying off the estimated 3 billions dollars in damages

8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Ecuador_earthquake
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terremoto_de_Ecuador_de_2016