Case Studies

Question 1

L’Aquila (Italy) Earthquake in 2009

Answer 1

• HIC
• 6 April 2009
• 6.3 on Richter scale
• Abruzzo region of Italy
• Epicentre was 7km away from L’Aquila

Primary effects

• 308 people killed
• 1,500 people injured
• 68,000 people homeless
• Approx 13,000 buildings collapsed
• Many churches and medieval buildings were damaged
• Hospital impacted so couldn’t deal with casualties
• US$11m of damage

Secondary effects

• Aftershocks triggered landslides and rockfalls
• Mudflow caused by burst main
• House prices and rents increased due to lack of supply
• Reduced business, tourism and income due to large parts of city being unsafe.

Immediate responses

• Hotels and tents to provide shelter
• Red cross searching for survivors with dogs
• Meals, tents and blankets distributed
• Mortgages, bills and service charges were supended
• State of Emergency declared
• EU granted US$55om

Long term responses

• Free public transport
• Re-building homes
• Scientists were found guilty of not predicting it

Question 2

Gorkha (Nepal) Earthquake in 2015

Answer 2

• LIC
• 28 April 2015
• 7.8 on the richter scale
• 80km North of Kathmandu

Primary effects

• 8,841 dead
• 16,800 injured
• 1 million homeless
• Historic buildings
• Newer modern buildings as no buildings standards
• 26 hospitals and 50% of schools
• Reduced supply of food, water and electricity
• 352 after shocks including a second earthquake of 7.3 magnitude

Secondary effects

• Avalanche on Mount Everest swept through Everest Base Camp
• Impacted tourism
• Food shortages as rice seed was lost in destroyed buildings

Immediate responses

• International help
• UK raised US$126m
• Temporary shelters
• Medical supplies
• Facebook safety feature

Longer term responses

• Post disaster assessment
• Heritage sites reopened
• Individuals trained to repair irrigation channels

Question 3

Constructive Plate Margin

Answer 3

• Mid Atlantic Ridge
• Eurasian and North American plates
• Magma rose to form Iceland
• View the Almannagja fault
• Hundreds of small earthquakes occur on a weekly basis

Question 4

Destructive Plate Margin

Answer 4

• Japan is prone to earthquakes and has 118 active volcanoes
• Forms part of the ring of fire
• Lies on the margin of four plates - Eurasian, North American, Pacific and Philippine
• Pacific subducts (goes under) North American and Philippine plates
• Mariana ocean trench 11,000 metres deep; Mt Everst is 8,848 metres

Question 5

Conservative Plate Margin

Answer 5

• San Andreas fault
• 800km in California
• North American and Pacific plate
• Moving in same North West direction but at different speeds
• North American is 6cm per year
• Pacific is 10cm per year
• Thousands of small earthquakes
• 7.8 on richter scale in San Francisco in 1906

Question 6

Typhoon Haiyan

Answer 6

• 8 November 2013
• Category 5 typhoon
• Northwest Pacific
• Hit the Philippines

Primary effects

• 6,190 died
• 14m affected
• US$12billion damage
• 1 million farmers
• 1.1 million tonnes of crops destroyed
• 4m homeless
• Wind speeds up to 190 miles per hour
• Battered homes and roads

Secondary effects

• Oil tanker ran aground and leaked oil
• Looting was rife
• Contaminated water from spilled chemicals, sewage and seawater
• Diseases

Immediate responses

• 800,000 people evacuated
• Government sent out essential supplies
• International Governments pledged help
• A curfew to stop looting

Longer term responses
- Build back better
- No build zone
- New warning system
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Question 7

Record Rainfall and Flooding in Cumbria

Answer 7

• 17 to 20 November 2009
• High rainfall preceded the key dates which meant the soil was sodden
• Run off to Lake District 0ver 36 hours
• River Derwent was 10 metres wider than normal
• Water flow was 25 times higher than normal

Impacts

• Police officer killed when bridge collapsed in Workington
• Many injuries
• 1,500 homes flooded
• Contaminated river water with sewage
• 6 bridges destroyed
• Businesses impacted
• Erosion on River Derwent
• Tree damage
• Damage local ecosystems and habitats
• Cockermouth worst impacted town
• £100m damage

Question 8

Estuary - River Severn

Answer 8

• River Severn is 354km long.
• Enters the Bristol channel at the Severn estuary.
• Close to the Severn Bridge crossing into Wales.
• River channel broadens out as it reaches the sea.

Estuary characteristics:

• May have a high tidal range; 15 metres which is one of highest in the world.
• May be wide; 3.2km wide at Severn bridge crossing.
• It will have mudflats; visible at low tide; some of mude covered by salt marshes (grassy areas).
• It may have tidal bores (i.e. huge waves that travel UP the river. It can travel as high as Gloucester on a high Spring tide. Large bores occur around 25 days per year. Travel between 8-21 km per hour, getting faster upstairs. Cause damage to banks and vegetation.

Question 9

River Flood Relief - River Jubilee

Answer 9

• Relief channel for the River Thames.
• Flows roughly parallel to the River Thames.
• Starts in Maidenhead, passes to the North of Eton and then rejoins the River Thames.
• Funded by the Environment agency.
• Cost £110m.
• Opened in 2002.
• 11.7km long and 50 metres wide.
• UK’s largest artificial channel.
• Designed to look like a natural river.
• Has 5 dams along its course.
• Normally low level but when Thames is high it tales excess water to stop River Thames overflowing its banks.
• Required due to high flooding risk in Windsor and Eton.

Social issues

• Protect some properties at the expense of others.
• Two of the weirs cannot take boats.

Economic issues

• Most expensive UK scheme to build and maintain.
• EA ran short of money.
• Until final solution is found, businesses are losing money and insurance is expensive.

Environmental issues

• Extensive flooding on 2014 where re-joined Thames.
• Concrete weirs are ugly.
• Algae collecting behind the weir impacting the eco system.

Question 10

Glacial Landforms in Lake District

Answer 10

• Red Tarn is an example of a Corrie Lake