New 3D radar suggests Haiti may face a similar quake within next 20 yrs

NASA Radar Jet Acquires First 3-D Image of Haiti

NASA’s radar-equipped jet has returned its first 3-D image of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. This false-color image clearly shows the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault extending east of the city.

The image supports a Jan. 21 U.S. Geological Survey report that suggested the section of the fault (indicated by the black arrow above) nearest to Port-au-Prince (yellow arrow) did not slip significantly in the magnitude 7 Jan. 12 earthquake.

The new image, taken by JPL’s Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar attached to a modified Gulfstream III jet, shows that the ground rupture moved westward from the epicenter. The section of the fault in the image did not rupture, a situation that increases the risk of another significant earthquake in the future.

The USGS report noted that two large earthquakes struck the area in 1751 and 1770, most likely on the Enriquillo fault, which runs from western Haiti into the Dominican Republic. If a similar succession occurs in the coming years, it could be devastating, particularly if Haiti is not rebuilt with this risk in mind.

Full story: wired.com

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