Earthquake case studies

Question 1

What are the characteristics of the Haiti 2010 earthquake?

Answer 1

Epicentre 15km away from Port-au-Prince capital.
7.0 magnitude.
10 aftershocks - 5.0+ magnitude.
Conservative boundary.
Caribbean and North American plates.
Last major earthquake - 150 years ago.
Very shallow focal depth - 8km.
High capital density.

Question 2

What were the social effects of the Haiti 2010 earthquake? 10

Answer 2

1. 220,000 died - 1/5 affected died.
2. 3 million affected.
3. 300,000 injured.
4. 1.5 million homeless.
5. 50% of the 49 hospitals were affected.
6. 400,000+ emergency amputations.
7. 90% TV/radio signals lost - hard to get help.
8. Roads blocked with debris - slow recovery.
9. Prison destroyed - 4,000 escaped.
10. Violence/looting from slow aid distribution.

HAITI IS SOCIALLY WORSE OFF THAN NORTHRIDGE.

Question 3

What were the economic effects of the Haiti 2010 earthquake? 5

Answer 3

1. Port facilities destroyed by liquefaction - lack of trading.
2. 250,000 houses and 30,000 commercial buildings needed to be destroyed.
3. 19 million cubic metres of rubble/debris - capital.
4. 4,000+ schools destroyed.
5. 50% buildings ruined - cheap construction methods.

Question 4

What are the synoptic links between the social/economic impacts of the Haiti 2010 earthquake?

Answer 4

300,000 injured - family dependency and little social security; livelihoods are destroyed, injured are unable to work and produce goods.
Broken families - starvation.
1.5 million homeless due to lack of building codes - the way in which they live is the real killer.

Question 5

What are the environmental/political impacts of the Haiti 2010 earthquake? 2

Answer 5

1. Water supply affected - 6,000 died from cholera.
2. A landslide dam on the Riviere de Grand Goave was created; may have collapsed in the rainy season, which would flood the Grand-Goave 12km downstream.

Question 6

What was the long term aid response like regarding the Haiti 2010 earthquake? 4

Answer 6

1. EU gave $330 million.
2. World Bank waived Haiti’s repayments for 5 years.
3. USA tried to take control of the air traffic.
4. The Dominican Republic took in refugees.

Question 7

How well did Haiti recover regarding the long term aid of the 2010 Haiti earthquake? 4

Answer 7

1. 6 months after, 98% rubble remained on the roads - impossible to trade.
2. 1.6 million in poorly supplied camps - no housing.
3. 1 million remained displaced one year on.
4. 23 charities collected $1.1 billion in relief - HOWEVER, only 2% has ever been released - CORRUPTION.

Question 8

What is the background of the Haiti?

Answer 8

GDP only £1,300 - POOR.
LE just 60.
No census - estimate numbers.
86% in Port-au-Prince - slum conditions.
500,000 in the capital lived in poverty.
Relied on external aid - they became DEPENDENT.
- economic dependence - cycle of poverty.
Haiti relied on international aid for 30% GDP.
Poorly managed government - corrupt e.g. political chaos and violence.

Question 9

What was the short term aid response like regarding the Haiti 2010 earthquake?

Answer 9

1. Other countries came together to help.
2. State of confusion over who was in charge.
3. Delayed air distribution - violence.

Question 10

What is the background of the Nepal 2015 earthquake? 9

Answer 10

April 2015, estimated 7.8 magnitude.
Aftershocks – 7.3 in May.
LEDC country – HDI of 0.540 (145th in the world).
Between the subducting Indian plate and the Eurasian plate.
Predicted in 2013.

Question 11

What are the social impacts of Nepal 2015? 4

Answer 11

1. 8,600 dead.
2. 19,000 injured.
3. Temperatures dipped at night.
4. Hundreds of thou.sands - homeless.

Question 12

What are the economic impacts of Nepal 2015? 3

Answer 12

1. Ancient buildings were destroyed at UNESCO World Heritage e.g. the Dharahara Tower.
2. Approx. 35% loss of GDP.
3. Short term loss of tourist revenue – a major industry in Nepal.

Question 13

What are the environmental impacts of Nepal 2015? 2

Answer 13

1. Triggered avalanche on Mount Everest.
   17 died - 1,000 present.
2. Steep valleys suffered many landslides.

Question 14

What were the short term responses of Nepal 2015? 6

Answer 14

1. Tent cities in capital.
2. Slow responses - epicentre area was visited the day after.
3. 90% soldiers helped the worst hit areas - but efforts hindered by landslides/damaged infrastructure.
4. International aid e.g. the Red Cross - medically evacuated critically wounded by helicopter.
5. GIS tool ‘crisis mapping’ - used to coordinate response.
6. Surgeons/inflatable hospitals were used.

Question 15

What was the long term response of Nepal 2015? 3

Answer 15

1. ADB provided 3 million grant - immediate relief efforts.
   200 million for the first phase of rehabilitation.
2. Many countries gave aid e.g. UK government donated $23 million, UK public donated $50 million.
3. Also provided 30 tonnes of humanitarian aid, 8 tonnes of equipment, 100 search and rescue responders, 3 Chinook helicopters.

Question 16

What is the background of the Northridge 1994 earthquake?

Answer 16

Los Angles, USA, 1994.
4:30 am, federal holiday - MLK day.
LOCALISED CIRCUMSTANCES.
Blind thrust fault (Northridge thrust).
Focal depth - 18.4km.
600 aftershocks.
6.7 magnitude.
North American 4cm, Pacific 11cm per year. CONSERVATIVE plate margin.

Question 17

What is the preparedness of the Northridge 1994 earthquake?

Answer 17

RICH.
Regular earthquake drills.
Good earthquake education.
Emergency responses practice their responses.
Aid supplies are stored.

Question 18

What are the social impacts of the Northridge 1994 earthquake? 3

Answer 18

1. 57 died.
2. 1,500 seriously injured, 10,000 minor injuries - LOW impacts for the size (hospitals mostly survived due to building codes - quicker recovery).
3. 20,000 homeless - building codes.

Question 19

What are the economic impacts of the Northridge 1994 earthquake?

Answer 19

1. $20 billion - the costliest seismic disaster in US history.
2. 700,000 applications made for financial help.
3. 12,500 buildings suffered moderate/serious damage.
4. 11 hospitals suffered - however more were available than Haiti due to education.
5. 11,000 landslides were triggered - damaged roads/water lines. HOWEVER LA could cope better - no cases of cholera were reported.
6. NATIONALLY survived well; LOCALLY - wood framed low tensile strength houses in San Fernando Valley suffered - homes to poorer immigrants (void created in older/poorer areas).

Question 20

What are the political impacts of the Northridge 1994 earthquake? 1

Answer 20

Insurance companies stopped representing homeowners in California after a law made them offer earthquake cover - stopped offering altogether.

Question 21

What was the management/response of the Northridge 1994 earthquake like?

Answer 21

Obvious mitigation efforts were made.
Retrofits of masonry buildings saved lives; hospitals suffered less than 1971 earthquake.
Well co-ordinated/effective response.
Earthquake not stopped - but impacts greatly reduced.

Question 22

What was the recovery of the Northridge 1994 earthquake like?

Answer 22

PTSD - 88% children and 67% adults.
$3.9 billion for FEMA.
$1.35 billion for the Federal Highway Association.
COPE helped with illegal immigrants.
Many didn’t receive aid - socioeconomic/immigrant status.
FEMA aid immediate, but temporary.
Only 3 system stations at the time - now over 250.
2005 - state legislation stated that all Californian hospitals should have earthquake proof adult care units and emergency rooms.