Karma's Blog

This week, we discussed mass wasting, which is defined as any type of downslope movement of Earth materials.  Mass wasting is more generally referred to using simple terms such as landslides, mudslides, rockfalls, and debris flows.  Furthermore, mass wasting events do not require any triggers, but rather occur due to the influence of gravity.  Aside from floods, landslides are the most frequently occurring natural hazard that Jamaica experiences. Moreover, they are typically caused by seismic activity, as well as heavy rainfall from hurricanes and tropical depressions. These mass wasting events have resulted is loss of lives, destruction to both infrastructural and natural environments, and long-term damage to Jamaica's socioeconomic development. From November 16th-18th in 2023 alone, landslides caused by heavy rainfall damaged road networks so badly, repair costs were estimated by the National Works Agency to be $409 million.  On June 7, 1692, a massive earthquake o...

Hi everyone! Welcome to my Week 5 Blog Post. :)  Jamaica does not have any active volcanoes, but interestingly it is believed to have been formed as a result of prehistoric volcanic activity. More specifically, scientists presume that over 40 million years ago, Jamaica was was created as a result of an underwater volcanic eruption!  Although Jamaica does not have any volcanic activity, the eastern region of the Caribbean does. According to the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Center, the islands of the Eastern Caribbean, or Lesser Antilles, form a curved chain of volcanic islands along the eastern margin of the Caribbean Sea. This chain of volcanic islands are referred to as an "island arc," but only the western arc is active. Furthermore, the Lesser Antilles has 21 volcanoes that are likely to erupt again, all of which are dispersed across 11 volcanically active islands. In the Eastern Caribbean region, volcanic eruptions are one of the most threatening hazards...

 Hello everyone! Welcome to my Week 3 Blog. :) This week, we learned more about earthquakes, specifically the way countries have learned to prevent and mitigate the negative impacts they produce.  Annually, around 200 earthquakes occur in and around Jamaica, most of which have magnitudes of less than 4.0. The regions that have the highest seismic hazard are located in Jamaicas most important urban areas, located in the southeastern region of the island (seen in map above). In just last year alone, Jamaica experienced an unusual surge in seismic activity, with a total of over 320 earthquakes. According to the Earthquake Unit, this number of recorded events surpassed the numbers documented in past years. Out of these events, the largest one had a magnitude of 5.6, which categorizes it as a moderate earthquake.  Now you may be wondering: How does Jamaica prepare for, prevent, and mitigate the effects of the earthquakes they so frequently experience?  The Director Genera...

Hello everyone! Welcome to my Week 2 Blog Post. :) This week we learned about tectonic plates, more specifically understanding their boundaries, which is vital in determining how they contribute to devastating natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.  For my chosen country, Jamaica, they are located on the boundary of two tectonic plates called the Gonave and the Carribbean. Due to the fact that these plates continuously converge, which means they move toward one another, uplifts occur in Jamaica. Moreover, this convergence is what makes Jamaica's beautiful, lush land so mountainous, but it also carries the inherent risk of frequent earthquakes.  Throughout history, Jamaica has experienced a number of deadly earthquakes, with the largest and most damaging one occurring on June 7, 1692 at a 6.2 magnitude. This earthquake is famously known as the Port Royal earthquake, which is a city in Jamaica where the highest number of people lost their lives due to a po...

 Hi everyone! Welcome to my first blog post. :)  Today I will be introducing you all to the country I chose to discuss throughout my blog this semester, which is Jamaica! The island country of Jamaica is the third-largest island in the Caribbean, with an area of 4,244 square miles. It has lush, mountainous land which is home to four major mountain ranges: Don Figuero, the Blue, John Crow, and Cockpit Country. Also, a couple more interesting facts are that Jamaica itself actually sits on the summit of an underwater mountain called the Jamaica Ridge, and it is home to one of the largest butterflies in the world as well as 250 species of birds!  Aside from introducing my chosen country, I will state the difference between hazards, disasters, and catastrophes that we learned from Chapter 1. Initially, a natural hazard is defined as a natural process or event that is a potential threat to human life and property. On the other hand, a disaster is a hazardous event that occurs ...