Earthquake Case Studies Flashcards
Name an earthquake that occurred in a LEDC? When did it happen?
Kashmir, Pakistan
8th October 2005
How strong was the L’Aquila earthquake on the Richter scale?
6.3
How strong was the Kashmir earthquake on the Richter scale?
7.6
What caused both of the earthquakes studied?
Movement along a crack at a destructive plate margin
What preparation was in place in L’Aquila?
1- laws on construction standards ( however many buildings had not been built to withstand earthquakes)
2- Italy had trained volunteers to help in rescue operations
What preparation was in place in Kashmir?
NO local disaster planning was in place
Buildings were not earthquake resistant
There was poor communication, and only a few badly constructed roads existed
What were the primary effects in L’Aquila?
1- 290 deaths
2- hundreds of people injured
3- thousands of buildings destroyed
4- thousands of people homeless
5- A bridge in Fossa collapsed
6- A water pipe broke in Paganica Town
What were the primary effects in Kashmir?
1- 80000 deaths
2- hundreds of thousands injured
3- entire villages and thousands of buildings destroyed
4- 3 million homeless
5- water and electricity supply cut off by earthquake
Name a Earthquake that occurred in a MEDC? When did it happen?
L’Aquila Italy
6th April 2009
What were the secondary effects in L’Aquila?
1- Aftershocks hampered rescue efforts and caused more damage
2- Fires in collapsed buildings caused damage
3- The broken water pipe in Paganica caused a landslide
What were the secondary effects in Kashmir?
1- Landslides buried buildings and people, they also blocked roads and cut off water and electricity supply as well as telephone lines
2- Diahorrea and other diseases spread due to little clean water
3- Freezing winter conditions after the earthquake caused more casualties and made rescue and rebuilding difficult
What were the immediate responses in L’Aquila?
1- Camps for the homeless set up, with food, water and medical care
2- Ambulances, fire engines and the army sent to rescue survivors
3- Cranes and diggers removed rubble
4- International teams with rescue dogs looked for survivors
5- money provided by government to pay rent and gas and electricity bills suspended
What were the immediate responses in Kashmir?
1- help didn’t reach some areas for days or months, people had to be rescued by hand.
2- Tents blankets and medical supplies distributed within a month but didn’t reach all affected areas
3- International aid and equipment such as helicopters and rescue dogs were brought in, as well as teams of people from other countries
What were the long term responses in L’Aquila?
1- Italian Prime Minister has promised to build a new town to replace L’Aquila as the capital of the area
2- An investigation is going on looking into why modern buildings were not built to withstand earthquakes.
What were the long term responses in Kashmir?
1- 40 000 people relocated from destroyed town of Balakot to a new town
2- Government money has been given to people whose homes were destroyed so they can rebuild them themselves
3- Training has been given to help rebuild more buildings as earthquake resistant
4- New health centres set up in the area
