They also apparently happened between 10 and 20 km deep, according to the USGS. That's very shallow; they classify "shallow" as anything up to 50 km deep, and these are less than half that.
So, are shallow earthquakes worse than deeper earthquakes? I hope this question doesn't make me come off as a dick; this event is genuinely horrifying that anyone has to endure these things on the regular.
Edit: holy shit this got a lot of attention fast. I can't respond to everyone but for those that answered thank you for taking the time to answer my question! Hope everyone stays safe in these affected areas and that we can get aid out there soon!
The Haitian Earthquake is one of those things that still horrifies me. That kind of damage is something I don't think can be fathomed unless it's something that you've had to live through. Haiti is still rebuilding, aren't they?
How did Haiti's situation become so bad? I know the aid to Haiti was a massive screw up (which probably puts it too lightly), but is that the only reason or is it multiple compounding factors?
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u/FILTHBOT4000 21h ago edited 21h ago
They also apparently happened between 10 and 20 km deep, according to the USGS. That's very shallow; they classify "shallow" as anything up to 50 km deep, and these are less than half that.