The link is to a Youtube video from a hill above Port Au Prince (I assume). It was shown also on Good Morning America (ABC). The end of this sent chills down my neck about 4 times.

What you may not realize on viewing it is you are not seeing fog below: it is dust and smoke.

ABC talked to someone for whom the shaking was too strong to stand up. I know we should be most concerned about the victims but it will be interesting to this page what is learned about strong ground motion due to a strike-slip earthquake. A M 7 strike-slip earthquake is certainly going to have a ground rupture. It is also likely to have broken a piece of fault mayeb 50 km-long.

By the way, I wish newspapers and TV people would stop with the 6 mile depth: that is 10 km and is likely just the depth assigned to the location program. It is important that it was shallow, but it likely broke from 15 or 20 km depth to the surface. ABC had their meteorologist explain the science; except for that he did not do badly. But, you rarely see seismologists explaining thre weather (or hurricanes). I suppose seismologists are just too incoherent to explain earthquakes to the public? I know I am, and I'm not a seismologist.

Chris

• Haiti Video