scholarly journals Assessment of tsunami hazards for the Central American Pacific coast from southern Mexico to northern Peru

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 1889-1903 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Brizuela ◽  
A. Armigliato ◽  
S. Tinti
Keyword(s):  
Central America ◽  
Pacific Coast ◽  
Probabilistic Approach ◽  
Central American ◽  
Southern Mexico ◽  
Extended Region ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Northern Peru ◽  
Run Up ◽  
Tsunami Run Up

Abstract. Central America (CA), from Guatemala to Panama, has been struck by at least 52 tsunamis between 1539 and 2013, and in the extended region from Mexico to northern Peru (denoted as ECA, Extended Central America in this paper) the number of recorded tsunamis in the same time span is more than 100, most of which were triggered by earthquakes located in the Middle American Trench that runs parallel to the Pacific coast. The most severe event in the catalogue is the tsunami that occurred on 2 September 1992 off Nicaragua, with run-up measured in the range of 5–10 m in several places along the Nicaraguan coast. The aim of this paper is to assess the tsunami hazard on the Pacific coast of this extended region, and to this purpose a hybrid probabilistic-deterministic analysis is performed, that is adequate for tsunamis generated by earthquakes. More specifically, the probabilistic approach is used to compute the Gutenberg–Richter coefficients of the main seismic tsunamigenic zones of the area and to estimate the annual rate of occurrence of tsunamigenic earthquakes and their corresponding return period. The output of the probabilistic part of the method is taken as input by the deterministic part, which is applied to calculate the tsunami run-up distribution along the coast.

scholarly journals Assessment of tsunami hazard for the American Pacific coast from southern Mexico to northern Peru

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 2983-3021
Author(s):  
B. Brizuela ◽  
A. Armigliato ◽  
S. Tinti
Keyword(s):  
Central America ◽  
Statistical Approach ◽  
Pacific Coast ◽  
Annual Rate ◽  
Southern Mexico ◽  
Deterministic Analysis ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Northern Peru ◽  
Run Up ◽  
Tsunami Run Up

Abstract. Central America has been struck by at least 49 tsunamis between 1539 and 1996. As many as 37 of these events occurred at the Pacific Coast, and 31 were generated by earthquakes. Some of the events have been destructive, but despite this, tsunamis are an underrated hazard in Central America: people are not aware that they are at risk and even recent tsunami events have been forgotten. Recent studies, following the destructive tsunami occurred in Nicaragua in 1992, have revealed that Central America is a moderately tsunamigenic zone that is mainly affected by tsunamis triggered by earthquakes, especially at the Pacific coast where the Middle American Trench runs parallel to the coast. In this study, a statistical first and then a deterministic analysis for the Pacific coast of Central America has been carried out. The statistical approach aims to estimate the Gutenberg-Richter coefficients of the main seismic tsunamigenic regions of the area in order to assess the annual rate of occurrence of tsunamigenic earthquakes and their corresponding return period. A deterministic approach is then used to compute the tsunami run-up distribution along the coast corresponding to a given annual rate of occurrence of tsunamigenic earthquakes.

scholarly journals Source Fault Model of the 2011 off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake, Estimated from the Detailed Distribution of Tsunami Run-up Heights

2015 ◽  
Vol 124 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nobuhisa MATSUTA ◽  
Yasuhiro SUZUKI ◽  
Nobuhiko SUGITO ◽  
Takashi NAKATA ◽  
Mitsuhisa WATANABE
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Coast ◽  
Tohoku Earthquake ◽  
Fault Model ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Run Up ◽  
Tsunami Run Up

scholarly journals Phylogeography and morphometric variation in the Cinnamon Hummingbird complex: Amazilia rutila (Aves: Trochilidae)

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melisa Vázquez-López ◽  
Nandadevi Córtes-Rodríguez ◽  
Sahid M. Robles-Bello ◽  
Alfredo Bueno-Hernández ◽  
Luz E. Zamudio-Beltrán ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Central America ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Pacific Coast ◽  
Yucatan Peninsula ◽  
Southern Mexico ◽  
Morphometric Variation ◽  
Divergence Time Estimates ◽  
Yucatán Peninsula ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Background The Mesoamerican dominion is a biogeographic area of great interest due to its complex topography and distinctive climatic history. This area has a large diversity of habitats, including tropical deciduous forests, which house a large number of endemic species. Here, we assess phylogeographic pattern, genetic and morphometric variation in the Cinnamon Hummingbird complex Amazilia rutila, which prefers habitats in this region. This resident species is distributed along the Pacific coast from Sinaloa—including the Tres Marías Islands in Mexico to Costa Rica, and from the coastal plain of the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico south to Belize. Methods We obtained genetic data from 85 samples of A. rutila, using 4 different molecular markers (mtDNA: ND2, COI; nDNA: ODC, MUSK) on which we performed analyses of population structure (median-joining network, STRUCTURE, FST, AMOVA), Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic analyses, and divergence time estimates. In order to evaluate the historic suitability of environmental conditions, we constructed projection models using past scenarios (Pleistocene periods), and conducted Bayesian Skyline Plots (BSP) to visualize changes in population sizes over time. To analyze morphometric variation, we took measurements of 5 morphological traits from 210 study skins. We tested for differences between sexes, differences among geographic groups (defined based on genetic results), and used PCA to examine the variation in multivariate space. Results Using mtDNA, we recovered four main geographic groups: the Pacific coast, the Tres Marías Islands, the Chiapas region, and the Yucatán Peninsula together with Central America. These same groups were recovered by the phylogenetic results based on the multilocus dataset. Demography based on BSP results showed constant population size over time throughout the A. rutila complex and within each geographic group. Ecological niche model projections onto past scenarios revealed no drastic changes in suitable conditions, but revealed some possible refuges. Morphometric results showed minor sexual dimorphism in this species and statistically significant differences between geographic groups. The Tres Marías Islands population was the most differentiated, having larger body size than the remaining groups. Conclusions The best supported evolutionary hypothesis of diversification within this group corresponds to geographic isolation (limited gene flow), differences in current environmental conditions, and historical habitat fragmentation promoted by past events (Pleistocene refugia). Four well-defined clades comprise the A. rutila complex, and we assess the importance of a taxonomic reevaluation. Our data suggest that both of A. r. graysoni (Tres Marías Islands) and A. r. rutila (Pacific coast) should be considered full species. The other two strongly supported clades are: (a) the Chiapas group (southern Mexico), and (b) the populations from Yucatán Peninsula and Central America. These clades belong to the corallirostris taxon, which needs to be split and properly named.

scholarly journals Nineteenth Century Navies Role in Developing an understanding of the Pacific Coast of Central America

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 58
Author(s):  
Jorge León Sáenz
Keyword(s):  
Central America ◽  
Pacific Coast ◽  
18Th Century ◽  
Foreign Affairs ◽  
Central American ◽  
Technical Knowledge ◽  
Traditional Use ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The 19Th Century

Navies, apart from their traditional use by nations as instruments for the projection of power, for the protection of maritime interests and for exercising peacekeeping and war activities, have also had an important role in developing scientific and technical knowledge.  The survey work undertaken by various navies since the 18th century, has in particular been of great benefit in improving and making navigation safer on high seas and coasts, through the provision of maritime charts and sailing directions, to all mariners.  The technical efforts and geopolitical interests behind those efforts in the 19th century and how they affected the maritime trade and foreign affairs of the Central American countries located on the Pacific Coast are the subject of this study.

scholarly journals New records of the drywood termite, Incisitermes platycephalus (Light, 1933) (Isoptera, Kalotermitidae), from Central America and senior synonym of I. nigritus (Snyder, 1946)

Check List ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 501-505
Author(s):  
Rudolf H. Scheffrahn
Keyword(s):  
Central America ◽  
Anterior Margin ◽  
New World ◽  
Pacific Coast ◽  
New Records ◽  
Head Capsule ◽  
Southern Mexico ◽  
World Species ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Senior Synonym

New World species of the genus Incisitermes Krishna, 1961 range from California to Peru.  The soldier of this genus is notable for the incised anterior margin of the pronotum and the elongated third antennal article.  I report the broad occurrence of Incisitermes platycephalus (Light, 1933) from extreme southern Mexico to the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. Incisitermes nigritus (Snyder, 1946) from Guatemala is a junior synonym of I. platycephalus.  Among Incisitermes, I.  platycephalus is characterized by its small size, dark imago, and dorsoventrally compressed soldier head capsule.

scholarly journals Flying shells: historical dispersal of marine snails across Central America

2011 ◽  
Vol 279 (1731) ◽  
pp. 1061-1067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Osamu Miura ◽  
Mark E. Torchin ◽  
Eldredge Bermingham ◽  
David K. Jacobs ◽  
Ryan F. Hechinger
Keyword(s):  
Central America ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Molecular Dating ◽  
Central American ◽  
Southern Mexico ◽  
Marine Snails ◽  
Field Evidence ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Dispersal Events ◽  
Central American Isthmus

The geological rise of the Central American Isthmus separated the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans about 3 Ma, creating a formidable barrier to dispersal for marine species. However, similar to Simpson's proposal that terrestrial species can ‘win sweepstakes routes’—whereby highly improbable dispersal events result in colonization across geographical barriers—marine species may also breach land barriers given enough time. To test this hypothesis, we asked whether intertidal marine snails have crossed Central America to successfully establish in new ocean basins. We used a mitochondrial DNA genetic comparison of sister snails ( Cerithideopsis spp.) separated by the rise of the Isthmus. Genetic variation in these snails revealed evidence of at least two successful dispersal events between the Pacific and the Atlantic after the final closure of the Isthmus. A combination of ancestral area analyses and molecular dating techniques indicated that dispersal from the Pacific to the Atlantic occurred about 750 000 years ago and that dispersal in the opposite direction occurred about 72 000 years ago. The geographical distribution of haplotypes and published field evidence further suggest that migratory shorebirds transported the snails across Central America at the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in southern Mexico. Migratory birds could disperse other intertidal invertebrates this way, suggesting the Central American Isthmus may not be as impassable for marine species as previously assumed.

Identification of Tropical Cyclones’ Critical Positions Associated with Extreme Precipitation Events in Central America

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugo G. Hidalgo ◽  
Eric J. Alfaro ◽  
Franklin Hernández-Castro ◽  
Paula M. Pérez-Briceño
Keyword(s):  
Central America ◽  
Tropical Cyclones ◽  
Critical Path ◽  
Central American ◽  
Pacific Basin ◽  
Extreme Precipitation Events ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Indirect Impacts ◽  
Precipitation Events

<p>Tropical cyclones are one of the most important causes of disasters in Central America. Using historical (1970–2010) tracks of cyclones in the Caribbean and Pacific basin, we identify critical path locations where these low-pressure systems cause the highest number of floods in a set of 88 precipitation stations in the region. Results show that tropical cyclones from the Caribbean and Pacific basin produce a large number of indirect impacts on the Pacific slope of the Central American isthmus. Although the direct impact of a tropical cyclone usually results in devastation in the affected region, the indirect effects are more common and sometimes equally severe. In fact, the storm does not need to be an intense hurricane to cause considerable impacts and damage. The location of even a lower intensity storm in critical positions of the oceanic basin can result in destructive indirect impacts in Central America. The identification of critical positions can be used for emergency agencies in the region to issue alerts of possible flooding and catastrophic events.</p>

scholarly journals Hatching Success Rather Than Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination as the Main Driver of Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) Nesting Activity in the Pacific Coast of Central America

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 3168
Author(s):  
Alejandra Morales Mérida ◽  
Aude Helier ◽  
Adriana A. Cortés-Gómez ◽  
Marc Girondot
Keyword(s):  
Solar Radiation ◽  
Central America ◽  
Pacific Coast ◽  
Hatching Success ◽  
Temperature Dependent ◽  
Lepidochelys Olivacea ◽  
Marine Turtles ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Main Driver ◽  
Nesting Activity

In marine turtles, sex is determined during a precise period during incubation: males are produced at lower temperatures and females at higher temperatures, a phenomenon called temperature-dependent sex determination. Nest temperature depends on many factors, including solar radiation. Albedo is the measure of the proportion of reflected solar radiation, and in terms of sand color, black sand absorbs the most energy, while white sand reflects more solar radiation. Based on this observation, darker sand beaches with higher temperatures should produce more females. As marine turtles show a high degree of philopatry, including natal homing, dark beaches should also produce more female hatchlings that return to nest when mature. When sand color is heterogeneous in a region, we hypothesize that darker beaches would have the most nests. Nevertheless, the high incubation temperature on beaches with a low albedo may result in low hatching success. Using Google Earth images and the SWOT database of nesting olive ridleys (Lepidochelys olivacea) in the Pacific coast of Mexico and Central America, we modeled sand color and nesting activity to test the hypothesis that darker beaches host larger concentrations of females because of feminization on darker beaches and female philopatry. We found the opposite result: the lower hatching success at beaches with a lower albedo could be the main driver of nesting activity heterogeneity for olive ridleys in Central America.

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