Case studies Tectonics Flashcards
Nepal facts and figures
7.8 magnitude earthquake in 2015
Epicentre was located 80km Northwest of Kathmandu and it had a depth of 15km (very shallow)
Aftershocks killed 8633 and injured 21,000
3 million made homeless
Earthquake occurred at midday
Nepal’s vulnerability and its effects
Nepal is a vulnerable country - one of the worlds poorest ranking in at 197th for GDP in 2016
Weak infrastructure was damaged or destroyed near the infrastructure
Most of Kathmandu’s buildings collapsed
large aftershocks and nearly 100 smaller ones
Nepal is in the Himalayas
Nepal’s emergency services were not prepared/able to deal with the disaster
Tourism fell significantly post-earthquake
Nepal’s economy is said to have lost around 5 billion USD - 25% of its GDP lost
6.6 billion needed for rebuilding - almost all came from foreign aid
Located in one of the most earthquake prone zones in the world - likely to happen again
Iceland eruption facts and figures
2010
- Major ash clouds produced
- 100,000 commercial flights cancelled worldwide
- Over 10 million passengers left stranded or unable to board flights
- Airlines lost 1.7 billion in revenue
- European economy lost 5 billion USD as a result of the disruption
- Economic effects felt as far away as Kenya - 20% of the Kenyan economy is based on the export of green vegetables and flowers, most of which are sent to Europe - flights cancelled so could not ship them and were losing $1.3 million a day
Montserrat (Volcanic eruption)
only 16km long and 10km wide island
began in 1995 and eruptions continued for 5 years - pyroclastic flows occupied most of the island
- Dozens of people lost their lives
- 7000 moved away from the island (over half of the island population)
- Capital of Plymouth was destroyed
- 2/3 of all homes destroyed
- Unemployment rose as tourism collapsed
- Agriculture severely affected
- Top-heavy population was created as young people left
- 2/3 of island is uninhabitable today as the volcano is still active
- New investment in safer part of Montserrat with hopes of reviving tourism e.g airport
Boxing Day 2004 (Tsunami)
9.1 magnitude Earthquake off the coast of Indonesia pushed the Indian ocean floor by 15 metres - sent out shock waves which went unnoticed until they crashed into land
Impact all the way to Africa
OVERALL ECONOMIC LOST OVER $10 BILLION
Social/Economic impacts
5 million affected
300,000 deaths
1.7 million left homeless
Coastal settlements devastated
Some coastal villages had 70% of inhabitants killed
1500 villages destroyed in Sumatra
Economies ruined as fishing, tourism and agriculture industries were harmed significantly
Thailand was losing $25mil a month in tourism
Environmental impacts
- Ecosystems (mangroves, coral reefs, forests, coastal wetlands) severely damaged
Most vegetation and topsoil was removed by up to 800 metres inland
Freshwater supplies and agricultural soil was contaminated by seawater
Haiti - 2010 facts
7.0 magnitude
Shallow focus - 13km
Liquefaction on looser soil caused building foundations to sink
Epicentre was only 24km from its capital, Port-au-Prince
Haiti is a developing country - poor and limited resources were being spent elsewhere and not in disaster prep
High levels of corruption led to a lack of commitment to improve the country
Lack of building controls and regulations - many homes were poorly built slum housing
Many Haitians living in poverty
Haiti - 2010 earthquake impacts (UNDERDEVELOPED)
Infrastructure e.g airport, main roads, ports severely damaged - prevented crucial aid efforts from being fully realised - ultimately led to more deaths
Over 1/4 of govt officials were killed and key govt buildings were destroyed - made them even less able to organise relief efforts and recovery
In 2010, cholera broke out due to improper sanitation and only declared cholera free in 2022
Haiti recovery 2010 (UNDERDEVELOPED)
$13 Billion in foreign aid
Due to massive govt corruption, foreign aid agencies are forced to run aid programmes themselves, costing them more and potentially not reaching local businesses
By 2015, 80,000 Haitians still living in temporary housing
New infrastructure built
China - 2008 (EMERGING COUNTRY)
7.9 Earthquake struck Sichuan
Govt ignored building codes
Earthquakes location was not in heavily populated town
Growing economy - relatively wealthy
Strong central govt was able to respond much more quickly
Within hours, over 130,000 soldiers and relief workers sent to affected areas
Medical services quickly restored
Temporary infrastructure rebuilt within 2 weeks
99% of farmhouses were rebuilt 2 years after the earthquake and lots of investment into other projects e.g infrastructure - investments to make area more resilient to future hazards
Japan - 2011 impacts (DEVELOPED)
- 9.0 magnitude earthquake under the Pacific Ocean
- Tsunami
- Surged up to 10km inland
- ## Fukushima nuclear plant damaged and released radiation
Japan’s preparation
- Good building construction + strict building codes
- Low levels of corruption
- Well developed disaster plnas
- Education and preparedness
RESPONSE
- 110,000 defence troops mobilised within 24h
- Radio set up for news
- Bank of Japan offered $183 billion to Japanese banks so the economy persevered
- Quickly accepted aid from 20 countries
