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Written January 15, 2011
Is there a relationship between the recent quakes along the southern Andes and the immense flooding that SE Brazil states are experiencing? They are along opposite coasts. [and from another] Brazil Government Says 100K Displaced by Floods [Jan 8] http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/01/08/ Brazilian authorities say the number of people left homeless by flooding has risen to about 100,000 in four southeastern states. Reports from regional civil defense authorities show Minas Gerais state has been hit the hardest. Eleven more are dead in Sao Paulo state, where 57 cities are in a state of emergency, including the capital. Main thoroughfares in Sao Paulo city were swamped Saturday, and some smaller towns were entirely submerged.
What is the relationship between recent large quakes along the southern Andes and the horrific flooding in several states in SE Brazil? S America is tugging to the
west, along its top side. The trend has been in place for many months, with the Caribbean Plate sinking just above Colombia and in Panama. But as much as there
is stress along the northern Andes where the S American Plate slides over the Nazca Plate, there is more stress along the southern Andes. Why would this be? The
rolls that S America and Africa will do is primarily at the Equator, where the spreading apart of the Atlantic and the compressing of the Pacific is at an accelerated
pace. Thus, the plates to the west of the top of S America have already granted S America room to roll.
But as we have explained, the tip of S America does not roll, but remains nailed in place. This is due to the Antarctic Plate, which also abuts the south Andes. The
Antarctic Plate is not compressing, as it is one solid piece. For the top portion of S America to roll to the west, something must thus give, and to some extent this is
the southeastern portion of S America. There is already a seaway developing at Buenos Aires. But draw a line from the top of the current quake activity along the
southern Andes to the southeast coast of Brazil and they line up! For S America to be pulled in a bow like this, the land is stretched, and stretched land sinks. Thus,
where they did have rain, the rain was not excessive to the degree to explain the flooding. The inland rivers are not draining properly, due to the stretch and
consequent sinking.
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