3.1.1.2 Tectonic Hazards: Effects and Responses to Tectonic Hazards (Earthquakes) - Nepal and Chile Case Study Flashcards
Secondary effects of earthquakes:
- associated with events triggered by ground shaking e.g. landslides, avalanches, fires and deadly tsunami
- can cause massive destruction and loss of life
Primary effects of earthquakes:
- caused by ground shaking
- deaths and injuries associated with collapse of buildings and infrastructure e.g. elevated roads
Immediate/short-term responses to earthquakes:
- initially focuses on search and rescue
- providing emergency resources e.g. water, food, medicine, shelter and safety
Long-term responses of earthquakes:
- re-building and reconstruction
- returning society to ‘normal’ and reducing future risk
When was Nepal struck by an earthquake?
25th April 2015
What did the 2015 Nepal earthquake measure on the Richter scale?
7.9
Where was the epicentre of the 2015 Nepal earthquake?
80km to the north-west of Nepal’s capital Kathmandu in the foothills of the Himalayas
What was the plate boundary for the 2015 Nepal earthquake?
- destructive plate margin where the Indo-Australian Plate is colliding with the Eurasian Plate at a rate of 45mm per year
- collision and pressure at this margin are responsible for the formation of the Himalayas
What was the depth of the 2015 Nepal earthquake and what does this mean?
- very shallow
- 15km below the surface
- resulted in very severe ground shaking and widespread landslides and avalanches
- earthquake caused damage hundreds of kilometres away in India, Tibet and Pakistan
HDI of Nepal:
0.602
How many people were injured, died and affected by the earthquake in Nepal in 2015 (primary effects)?
- 9,000 people died
- 20,000 injured
- 8 million + people affected
How many people were left homeless by the 2015 Nepal earthquake (primary effects)?
3 million people left homeless
What was immediately affected by the 2015 Nepal earthquake (primary effects)?
- electricity
- water supplies
- sanitation
- communication
How many people needed food and shelter in the weeks following the 2015 Nepal earthquake (primary effects)?
1.4 million people needed food and shelter in the weeks following the earthquake
How was the airport affected by the 2015 Nepal earthquake (primary effects)?
international airport became congested as aid arrived
What % of shops were destroyed by the 2015 Nepal earthquake and how did this affect people (primary effects)?
- 50% of shops destroyed
- this affected food supplies and people’s livelihoods
What was the cost of damage of the 2015 Nepal earthquake (primary effects)?
over US$5bn
What did ground shaking from the 2015 Nepal earthquake trigger (secondary effects)?
triggered landslides and avalanches, blocking roads and hampering relief efforts
How many people died due to avalanche on Mount Everest that was caused by the 2015 Nepal earthquake (secondary effects)?
- killed 19 people
- greatest loss of life on the mountain in a single incident
What did the avalanche in Langtang caused by the 2015 Nepal earthquake cause (secondary effects)?
left 250 people missing
What landslide did the 2015 Nepal earthquake cause (secondary effects)?
- landslide blocked the Kali Dandaki River, 140km north-west of the capital Kathmandu
- many people evacuated in case of flooding
What did International rescue teams do as an immediate response to the 2015 Nepal earthquake?
- International search and rescue teams inc. the British organisation Search and Rescue Assistance in Disasters (SARAID), rescued 16 survivors
- water and medical support arrived from the UK, China and India
How many people urgently needed water, food and shelter and who helped provide this as an immediate response to the 2015 Nepal earthquake?
- approx. 1.4 million people urgently needed water, food and shelter
- World Vision International provided emergency food kits for 8000 people and shelter materials for 20,000 people
How did helicopters help as an immediate response to the 2015 Nepal earthquake?
helicopters rescued many people caught in avalanches on Mount Everest and delivered supplies to villages cut off by landslides
What was set up as an immediate response for the injured and homeless to the 2015 Nepal earthquake?
- field hospitals set up by organisations such as Red Cross
- 1/2mn + tents erected
How many people migrated from Kathmandu as an immediate response to the 2015 Nepal earthquake?
approx. 300,000 people migrated from Kathmandu to seek shelter and support from family and friends
What did Nepal adopt in 2018 as a long-term response to the 2015 Nepal earthquake?
2018 Nepal adopted a new National Disaster Risk Reduction Policy to increase future resilience
What happened by the end of 2015 to roads and routes as a long-term response to the 2015 Nepal earthquake?
- by the end of 2015 most access roads have been repaired and landslides cleared
- trekking routes on Mount Everest were restored and tourists (important source of income) returned
What project was started as a long-term response for housing to the 2015 Nepal earthquake?
- The Nepal Earthquake Housing Reconstruction Project supported by US$700 million from the International Development Association (IDA)
- provides grants to help people rebuild their home using disaster-resilient construction techniques and materials
How many new homes had been reconstructed as a long-term response to the 2015 Nepal earthquake?
September 2020, 212,000 new homes (of the planned 335,700) had been reconstructed
How did UNESCO help with long-term response to the 2015 Nepal earthquake?
UNESCO working with the government to restore 700 damaged temples, palaces and museums
Capital city of Chile:
Santiago
HDI of Chile:
0.851
Where did the Chile earthquake take place?
epicentre was off off the central Chile coast - travelled 800km/h across the Pacific
What was the 2010 Chile earthquake on the Richter scale?
8.8 Richter scale
What plate boundary did the 2010 Chile earthquake take place at?
- destructive subduction boundary
- between theNazca and South American plates
Did the Earth open up because of the 2010 Chile earthquake?
70 miles from epicentre the Earth opened up in Concepción
What was the depth of the 2010 Chile earthquake?
72 miles under surface - larger depth so less damage on surface
Approximately how long did the 2010 Chile earthquake last for?
90 seconds
How many people died, were injured and were affected by the 2010 Chile earthquake?
- 500 people died
- 12,000 injured
- 800,000 people affected
What happened to Chile’s infrastructure as a result of the earthquake in 2010?
much of Chile lost power, water supplies and communications
How many schools, homes, ports and hospitals were destroyed by the Chile 2010 earthquake?
- 45,000 schools
- 22,000 homes
- 53 ports
- 56 hospitals
- port of Talcahuanao and Santiago airport badly damaged
- other public buildings
Were any buildings left standing after the 2010 Chile earthquake?
many well-constructed buildings left standing
What was the total cost of the 2010 Chile earthquake estimated to be?
US$5 billion
What was the effect of the 2010 Chile earthquake on coastal towns?
left devastated by tsunami which was triggered by the earthquake
How were Pacific countries affected by the 2010 Chile earthquake?
several Pacific countries struck by tsunami - warnings prevented loss of life
Did the 2010 Chile earthquake cause any fires?
- fires broke out in buildings due to burst pipes and other complications
- caused a fire at a chemical plant near Santiago - area had to be evacuated
Were any landslides triggered by the 2010 Chile Earthquake? How many km’s of road did this damage? How did this affect rural communities?
- landslides triggered by the earthquakes damaged 1,500km of road
- debris blocked road for weeks, which cut off rural communities and slowed down relief efforts
How were emergency services deployed as an immediate response to the 2010 Chile earthquake?
- emergency services deployed quickly
- search and rescue teams were sent out to search for any survivors, and emergency field hospitals were set up to help the injured
How quickly were highways repaired as an immediate response to the 2010 Chile earthquake and what did this allow?
- within 24 hours temporary repairs were made to the Route 5 north-south highway
- this reconnected the capital (Santiago) to other areas and allowed response teams to travel to more remote communities
How many temporary shelters did the Chilean government set up initially and then through fundraising as an immediate response to the 2010 Chile earthquake?
- temporary shelters were set up for the homeless
- the Chilean government immediately distributed 5,000 temporary shelters, and a further 30,000 temporary emergency shelters were built after fundraising
What did International aid groups do as an immediate response to the 2010 Chile earthquake?
International aid groups set up emergency response units for healthcare and emergency supply distribution
How much of and how quickly was power and water restored as an immediate response to the 2010 Chile earthquake?
power and water was restored to 90% of homes within 10 days
How much money was raised as an immediate response to the 2010 Chile earthquake and what did it go towards?
US$60 million raised in relief funds after a national appeal which went towards reconstruction and emergency aid
What housing reconstruction plan was set up as a long-term response to the 2010 Chile earthquake? How much money in housing subsidies did it pledge and for how many houses?
- Chile set up a national housing reconstruction plan one month after the earthquake
- pledged US$3.5 billion in housing subsidies for 196.000 households affected
What happened to many houses and building that were still standing as a long-term response to the 2010 Chile earthquake?
1,000s of houses and buildings were deemed unsafe to stay standing and had to be demolished
Was foreign aid used as a long-term response to the 2010 Chile earthquake
- foreign aid was not heavily relied upon as Chile had the funds available for reconstruction and recovery
- strong economy could be built back without foreign aid
- the frequency of earthquakes in Chile meant the country was prepared for the disaster
How long did the President of Chile say the full recovery of Chile could take as a result of the 2010 earthquake?
- President of Chile announced that full recovery could tale 4 years
- esp. to fully reconstruct buildings and ports
Similarities of responses to earthquakes between Nepal and Chile:
- emergency and rescue teams arrived quickly in both countries
- main industries were able to bounce back (copper and tourism)
- damaged homes repaired and reconstructed
- roads repaired
Differences between responses to earthquakes in Nepal and Chile:
- Chile didn’t need to rely on much foreign aid unlike in Nepal
- Nepal had to carry out rescues for hikers on Mt Everest
- 300,000 people migrated from Nepal but there was no major migration in Chile
- Nepal had to establish stricter control on building codes and construction - unlike Chile which already had quite strict controls
How many schools were destroyed in the 2015 Nepal earthquake (primary effects)?
7,000 schools destroyed and people overwhelmed
