Earthquakes Flashcards
What are the causes of earthquakes
When the stress on the edge of the tectonic plates overcomes the friction, there is an earthquake that releases energy in waves that travel through the earth’s crust and cause the shaking that we feel.
Convergent tectonic plate boundary
Where tectonic plates converge, the one with thin oceanic crust subducts beneath the one capped by thick continental crust.
Divergent tectonic plate boundary
Occurs when two tectonic plates move away from each other
conservative tectonic plate boundary
where two crustal plates slide past each other, and the movement of the plates is parallel to the plate margin
Primary impacts of earthquake Haiti (5)
316,000 were killed, 1.3 million lost their homes
250,000 homes and 30,000 buildings were destroyed/ damaged
Hospitals and schools were badly damaged, as was the airport’s control tower
The main prison was destroyed and 4,000 inmates escaped
Secondary impacts of E H (4)
1 in 5 people lost their jobs from buildings being destroyed, Haiti’s largest industry, clothing, was the worst affected
Crime increased -looting became a big problem
Diseases spread from all the bodies everywhere
People were squashed into shanty towns
Short-term responses of E H (4)
$100 million in aid given by the USA and $330 million by the European Union
810,000 people placed in aid camps
115,000 tents and 1 million + tarpaulin shelters provided
Healthcare supplies provided to limit diseases
4.3 million people provided with food rations in the weeks following the earthquake
Long-term responses of E H (4)
1 million people still homeless after 1 year so still have to live in aid camps
Support for people without jobs, which equated to nearly 70% of the population through cash/ food-for-work projects
Locals were trained in how to repair broken irrigation pipes so that food production could increase
$1.1 billion was raised by 23 major charities
What makes countries vulnerable to tectonic events (4)
Exposure: eg How much of the population is near coastal areas
Susceptibility: the level of harm a community might face due to infrastructure, food security and overall economic conditions
Coping Capacity:The ability of a community to manage and respond to the hazard eg emergency services and access to resources
Adaptive Capacity: The ability to adjust to future risks eg climate change through long-term planning & innovation
