Earthquakes (Nepal and Japan)

Question 1

Is Nepal a HIC or a LIC?

Answer 1

LIC

Question 2

On what date did the Nepal earthquake occur?

Answer 2

25th April 2015

Question 3

What was the Nepal earthquake on the Richter scale?

Answer 3

7.9

Question 4

Where was the epicentre of the Nepal earthquake?

Answer 4

80km north-west of Nepal’s capital Kathmandu

Question 5

Describe the plate boundary that caused the Nepal Earthquake

Answer 5

Destructive plate margin where the Indo-Australian plate is colliding with the Eurasian plate at a rate of 45mm a year

Question 6

List 7 primary affects of the Nepal earthquake

Answer 6

9000 people died
20,000 people were injured
3 million were left homeless
50% of shops were destroyed
7000 schools were destroyed
Hospitals were overwhelmed
Costs of damage estimated at 5 billion dollars

Question 7

List 4 secondary effects of the Nepal earthquake

Answer 7

Ground shaking triggered landslides and avalanches
Avalanches on Mount Everest killed at least 19 people
An avalanche in the Langtang region left 250 people missing
A landslide blocked the Kali Gandaki river - many people evacuated in case of flooding

Question 8

List five immediate responses to the Nepal earthquake

Answer 8

Search and rescue teams, water and medical aid arrived quickly from countries like the UK, India and China
Helicopters rescued many people caught in avalanches on Mount Everest and delivered supplies to villages cut off by landslides
Half a million tents provided shelter for homeless
Field hospitals set up to cope with overcrowding
Social media used in search and rescue operations

Question 9

List five long term responses to the Nepal earthquake

Answer 9

Roads repaired and landslides cleared - lakes formed by landslide dams emptied to avoid flooding
Thousands of homeless people rehoused and housing repaired
Over 7000 schools rebuilt or repaired
July 2015 - tourist and heritage sites reopened
August 2015 - new routes established on Everest

Question 10

Is Japan a HIC or a LIC?

Answer 10

HIC

Question 11

On what date did the Japan earthquake occur?

Answer 11

11th March 2011

Question 12

What was the Japan earthquake on the Richter scale?

Answer 12

9.0

Question 13

Describe the plate boundary that caused the Japan earthquake

Answer 13

Destructive subduction plate boundary (Pacific plate under Eurasian)

Question 14

How was Japan at an advantage compared to Nepal?

Answer 14

Japan is a developed country which had invested a lot of money into preparing for earthquakes and tsunamis

Question 15

List five primary effects of the Japan earthquake

Answer 15

15,845 people died
4.4 million in north-eastern Japan left without electricity
Offices/homes/shops collapsed/destroyed
Roads and bridges severely damaged in places
Estimated cost of damage is 300 million dollars

Question 16

List five secondary effects of the Japan earthquake

Answer 16

The tsunami reached 39 metres high and travelled up to 10km inland
The coastal areas of Sendai were all destroyed by the tsunami
10% of fishing ports were damaged and all forced to be closed temporarily due to tsunami
Oil refinery caught fire
Boats/cars/buildings dragged by tsunami

Question 17

List eight immediate responses to the Japan earthquake

Answer 17

Nuclear power plant immediately shut down when shaking started
5894 people treated for minor injuries
Aircraft quickly in air to survey damage and evaluate where help was needed
Japanese army cleared debris within two days so emergency supplies could be delivered
Warnings given on TV, the internet, radio and text messages
452,000 people in evacuation shelters within days
Countries such as UK sent rescue teams to search for survivors
Japanese red cross reported 1 billion dollars in donations

Question 18

List three long term responses to the Japan earthquake

Answer 18

Homes reconstructed a year later for the 300,000 still homeless
Railway working by end of September
96% of electricity restored by November