Independent TV
Showing now | Climate
04:14
Reasons why Haiti is so prone to earthquakes
Following Haiti's 7.2-magnitude earthquake that left more than 2000 people dead and thousands more injured we look at why the country is so prone to quakes.
Haiti sits near the intersection of two tectonic plates that make up the Earth's crust.
Many of the faults lines between the North American Plate and the Caribbean plate cut through the island.
Quakes occur when Earth's crust moves against each other, causing friction.
While some of Haiti's buildings are built to withstand strong hurricane winds, they aren’t earthquake-proof.
Last weekend’s earthquake likely occurred along the Enriqullio-Plantain Garden fault zone - the same the devastating 2010 earthquake occurred.
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