Deck 6b - Tectonics: Nepal Earthquake

Question 1

What year was the Nepal earthquake?

Answer 1

2015

Question 2

What hazards were caused by the Nepal earthquake?

Answer 2

Ground shaking, landslides, avalanches

Question 3

What type of plate boundary is Nepal on and which tectonic plates are involved?

Answer 3

Destructive plate boundary- Indian and Eurasian plates

Question 4

Why is Nepal prone to earthquakes?

(FREQUENCY)

Answer 4

There is partial subduction of the Indian plate under the Eurasian plate, however this is limited due to the buoyance of the plates. The Himalayas formed as part of this collision and are continuing to grow in height. As the collision continues plates become stuck and pressure builds up. Earthquakes are commonly experienced as a release of this pressure with major tremors occurring approximately every 70 years.

Question 5

What magnitude was the Nepal earthquake and what depth did it occur at?

(MAGNITUDE)

Answer 5

7.8 MMS, shallow focus (8km)

Question 6

What was the duration of the Nepalese earthquake?

(DURATION)

Answer 6

The earthquake lasted approximately 50 seconds.

Question 7

What signs were there before the Nepal earthquake occured?

(PREDICTABILITY)

Answer 7

The earthquake occurred with no warning.

Question 8

What area did the Nepal earthquake impact?

(AREAL EXTENT)

Answer 8

Severely impacted 14 districts including the capital city Kathmandu.

Question 9

What was the GNI of Nepal during the earthquake?

(ECONOMIC vulnerability)

Answer 9

$3,090 (Nepal is one of Asia’s poorest countries)

Question 10

What was the level of technology available in Nepal during the earthquake?

(ECONOMIC vulnerability)

Answer 10

Limited technology and lack of maps of the area

Question 11

How educated were the Nepalese population about the risks of earthquakes prior to the Nepal earthquake?

(SOCIO-ECONOMIC vulnerability)

Answer 11

Nepal’s education system is poor particularly in rural public schools. In 2015 there was a 60.4% enrolment rate.

Question 12

What was the population structure of Nepal before the earthquake?

(SOCIAL vulnerability)

Answer 12

-Youthful population (32% under 15 years)
-High population density in the capital city of Kathmandu (1,179,000 in 2015)

Question 13

What time and date did the Nepal earthquake take place?

(SOCIAL vulnerability)

Answer 13

11:56am on the 25th April 2015

Question 14

What was the infrastructure like in rural areas and how did this impact on the risk posed by the Nepal earthquake?

Answer 14

Very poor infrastructure across Nepal particularly in rural areas which meant that it was very difficult to reach the areas and provide aid.

Question 15

What is the Nepalese government view on earthquake management?

(POLTICAL vulnerability)

Answer 15

Unstable government which is partially blamed on weak democratic institutions whilst others blame it corruption and the historical marginalisation of ethnic groups (called low castes) and women.

Question 16

What are the economic impacts of the Nepal earthquake?

Answer 16

-Up to $10bn damages
-Around 50% of GDP lost
-Harvests lost
-Tourism severely affected as parts of the World Heritage Sites have been destroyed.

Question 17

What are the social/demographic impacts of the Nepal earthquake?

Answer 17

-9,000 dead
-200 died in an aftershock close to Mount Everest, 21 of which were killed in an avalanche
-Thousands were made homeless
-Malnourishment in children increased and diseases such as typhus spread
-Survivors were preyed on by human traffickers and incidents of rape increased

Question 18

What are the environmental impacts of the Nepal earthquake?

Answer 18

-Landslides and avalanches wiped out vast areas of ecosystem
-Water contamination

Question 19

How prepared was Nepal for the earthquake?

Answer 19

-Disaster preparedness was poor in Nepal and individuals were not planned or prepared for the event
-Severe lack of investments in critical infrastructure like schools and hospitals

Question 20

What was the response (short term) to the Nepal earthquake?

Answer 20

-Oxfam provided emergency aid including food, water, shelter to 500,000 people
-Emergency and shelter kits provided
-Inflatable hospitals provided by MSF

Question 21

What was the recovery (long term) to the Nepal earthquake?

Answer 21

-‘Build back better’ provided people in Nepal with school buildings, roads and facilities to disaster-resilient standards
-Government in Nepal secured $4.1 billion in pledges at the International Conference on Nepal’s Reconstruction
-17,000 farmers issued with rice seed to re-plant

Question 22

What was the mitigation after the Nepal earthquake?

Answer 22

-Funding- $145 million to help provide jobs, healthcare and to
implement measures to mitigate future risk
-Building codes- Government and UN implemented new building codes to help mitigate future disasters
-Education- ‘Geohazards International’ launched campaign to raise awareness in the Kathmandu valley about potential hazards and
how to respond.
-Technology- remote sensing introduced to monitor hazards and provide early warning system.