Earthquakes: Sichuan Earthquake, 2008

Question 1

What happened/facts/impacts? (12)

Answer 1

• 12th May 2008
• Stresses in the crust triggered sudden movement along thrust fault, releasing powerful tremors across central China.
• 7.8 on the Richter scale in a densely populated area, focus of the EQ just 19km below the surface.
• Aftershocks for 5 minutes after - cause of death, injury, destruction of housing, schools, hospitals, road etc.
• Estimated 5.4 million buildings collapsed.
• Further 2.1 million buildings damaged.
• Killed nearly 90,000.
• Injured 375,000
• Homeless 5 million.
• Cost $150 billion.
• 7,000 classrooms destroyed killing 10,000 students as it hit whilst they were at school.
• Huge international attention due to 2008 Olympic games.

Question 2

What ECONOMIC impacts were there with their responses? (2)

Answer 2

• Estimated 1.4 million people driven to poverty due to loss of livelihoods.
• Loss of hundreds of thousands of buildings due to lack of building regulations being fulfilled and cheaper materials being used in construction instead (poor govt. implementation). Plus loss of roads, railways, hospitals, schools, irrigation systems, electricity.
  RESPONSE:
  Ongoing reconstruction estimated to cost $150 billion. Priority been given to building 4 million new homes, 169 hospitals, nearly 4,500 primary schools - all EQ resistant standard. Welfare programmes to help those in poverty - financial assistance.
• Agricultural production declined, due to damaged irrigation systems and loss of farmland from dumping of debris.
  RESPONSE:
  Govt.’s regulation on recovery and reconstruction after Sichuan EQ established principles of sustainable development. Increased rice production through return of land to agricultural use has been prioritised.

Question 3

What SOCIAL impacts were there with their responses? (2)

Answer 3

• At least 30,000 people suffered long term injuries - especially lost of/damaged limbs. Broken arms/legs likely to cause life long problems as they were not treated in the weeks after the quake.
  RESPONSE:
  Red Cross opened a Rehabilitation, Prosthetic and Orthotic centre 6 months after the EQ. Centre also offers physiotherapy and counselling services.
• It was a global reminder that China’s tectonic situation means the country is always at risk. China has suffered 5 of the worst 10 earthquakes over the last 100 years, based on the size of the death toll.
  RESPONSE:
  China’s ‘earthquake department’ has seen funding increase since 2008 - with its search and rescue teams doubling in size. Govt. now more readily enforces the earthquake resistant building standards for new structures.

Question 4

What ENVIRONMENTAL impacts were there with their responses? (1)

Answer 4

• After the EQ, 8 million cubic metres of debris was removed from one region alone and dumped on open farmland.
  RESPONSE:
  Debris is now being removed from farmland and either recycled or buried in landfill sites in areas of low agricultural productivity.

Question 5

How were they prepared before the event? (2)

Answer 5

• They were very under prepared! Even though they are the worst affected country when it comes to earthquakes.
• Building codes were set in 1976 so they were resistant. However due to corruption and builders rushing due to population increase, the buildings were not built to standards - leading to collapse in EQ.

Question 6

What have they done now after the event to prepare?

Answer 6

• HAZARD RESISTANT DESIGN:
  Deep foundations - concrete with steel/rubber shock absorbers allowing a building to rock back and forth without damage to the structure.
  Cross bracings - China’s Olympic stadium - allows building to twist during an EQ and respond to unequal pressure, but remain standing.
  Concrete counterweight - on top of building, moves in opposite direction of force of EQ without damaging, causes counteract of stress.
• EMERGENCY AID/SERVICES:
  Increase in funding and size of rescue teams.

Question 7

When was the earthquake?

Answer 7

12th May 2008

Question 8

What magnitude?

Answer 8

7.8

Question 9

How many buildings collapsed? Damaged?

Answer 9

5.4 million collapsed, 21 million damaged.

Question 10

How many deaths?

Answer 10

90,000

Question 11

How many injured?

Answer 11

375,000

Question 12

How many homeless?

Answer 12

5 million

Question 13

Cost?

Answer 13

$150 billion

Question 14

How many classrooms were destroyed?

Answer 14

7,000

Question 15

How many students killed?

Answer 15

10,000

Question 16

How many people driven into poverty?

Answer 16

1.4 million