Brazil's Seismicity


Brazils Seismic Risk 

Seismic risk is relatively low in Brazil especially compared to other South American countries, such as Chile. Due to the fact that Brazil is located in a stable region with very old topography (the arrangement of the natural and artificial physical features of an area) in the interior of a tectonic plate. However low to medium intensity tremors do happen with a certain frequency in Brazil, and depending on the location in which these happen, they can cause big consequences to the people and the land. Magnitude 3 tremors, occur about twice a month on average in Brazil, magnitude 4 tremors, occur twice a year, while magnitude 5 tremors cause damage and occur once every 50 years. Brazil is more commonly known for its flooding and landslides. 

How Brazil Stays Prepared 

Around the year 2011 Brazil joined the International Space and Natural Disaster organization Charter, "Space and Major Disasters" whose purpose is to make timely data available to rescue authorities during disasters. Brazil joined this organization shortly after the country had lost 800 lives due to a landslide in Rio de Janeiro. This charter is founded by ESA (European Space Agency) and CNES (France’s Centre national d’études spatiales) and is an international collaboration between the owners and operators of Earth observation missions and is meant to provide quick access to satellite data to help disaster management authorities in the event of a natural disaster. The principle of the Charter is that images and data acquired by Earth observation satellites she be available to all countries free of charge whenever they may need them.

Sources: https://phys.org/news/2017-08-seismic-hazards-brazil.html
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Brazil_joins_the_International_Charter_Space_and_Major_Disasters
http://ds.iris.edu/seismon/zoom/index.phtml?rgn=S_America
https://youtu.be/ZvExM-Z3E2w

Comments

  1. AnonymousFebruary 16, 2020 at 4:46 PM

    Leticia Ferreira both of our country's are in south america and both have had many disasters regarding the land and the life on it. I find it really interesting that even tho we are close in areas but have different natural disasters but majority of yours are floods and landslides whereas mine is earthquakes. Colombia is always having a 4 or up magnitude in earthquakes. I found Brazil earthquakes very interesting because i would only imagine Brazil and Colombia would have the same amount of earthquakes but then again Colombia is almost on a tectonic plate.

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